Gorman Lake

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Gorman Lake

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Gorman Lake is a 521-acre lake located approximately 4 miles southeast of Le Center in Le Sueur County. Gorman Lake has a maximum depth of 14 feet and is considered eutrophic with generally poor water clarity and frequent algae blooms caused by elevated nutrient levels. Gorman Lake is aerated during the winter to prevent hypoxic conditions. A DNR-owned public access is located on the south shoreline off Dodd Road and a county-owned public access is located on the west shoreline within the town of Cordova. Gorman Lake is primarily managed for Walleye and secondarily for Black Crappie, Bluegill, and Northern Pike and is included in a research project investigating Walleye strain performance in the Cannon River chain of lakes beginning in 2018. The management plan calls for stocking a 50:50 ratio of Lower Mississippi and Mississippi Strain Walleye fry annually. Northern Pike fry are stocked in odd years and other species are stocked as needed following winterkill events. Gorman Lake is designated as a Tier-2 Lake and will typically be surveyed as part of a regularly scheduled monitoring program every 6 years.

A 2022 targeted survey using gill nets was added to align with the other Cannon River chain lakes included in the Walleye strain research project. A targeted survey is generally used for sampling a specific kind of fish or time of year (i.e., spawning season, fall season, etc.) unlike a standard survey which samples a wider range of fish species during the summer months using standard methods (i.e., standard time of year, set sampling stations, taking water clarity readings and oxygen/temperature profiles, etc.) and gears (i.e., lake survey gillnets, trap nets, and spring electrofishing for Largemouth Bass). Methods for this targeted survey were identical to a standard survey including number of nets, net location, and timing of the survey. Therefore, results from this targeted survey can be compared to historical standard surveys. The targeted survey was completed the week of June 21, 2022 using 9 gill nets. Water quality parameters were also measured.

A total of 59 Walleyes were sampled for a catch rate of 6.6/net, which was up from the 2019 catch rate of 4.4/net. Catch rates have varied from 1.3/net to 8.1/net with an average of 4.3/net since 1994. Walleye ranged from 8.0 to 25.8 inches with an average of 18.6 inches. Almost all Walleye were over 15 inches and approximately 27% were over 20 inches. Walleye ranged from 1 to 9 years with 7 year-classes present. The 2019 year-class was the most abundant, accounting for 42% of the sample. Approximately 89% of Walleye sampled were from years when fry were stocked. Walleye growth was fast with an average length of 16.6 inches at year 3. Walleye numbers improved in 2022, perhaps due to the annual stocking of multiple strains since 2018.

Black Crappie was the most abundant species in the 2022 survey. A total of 181 Black Crappie were sampled for a catch rate of 20.1/net. The 2022 Black Crappie catch rate was nearly identical to the 2019 catch rate of 20.4/net, which was the highest recorded since 1994. Black Crappie ranged from 4.3 to 12.5 inches with an average of 8.1 inches. Approximately 35% of Black Crappie sampled were over 8 inches and 18% were greater than 10 inches.

Northern Pike were sampled at an all-time high catch rate of 6.0/net in 2022. Northern Pike catch rates averaged 3.2/net from 1994 to 2022. Northern Pike ranged from 21.0 to 32.9 inches with an average of 25.2 inches. Approximately 57% of Northern Pike sampled exceeded the legal minimum length limit of 24 inches.

Yellow Perch was the second most abundant species in the 2022 survey with a catch rate of 15.6/net. The 2019 catch rate was 14.2/net and the long-term average is 13.5/net. Yellow Perch ranged from 5.7 to 11.2 inches with an average of 8.2 inches. Almost half of the Yellow Perch sampled were over 8 inches and about 8% were over 10 inches. Gorman Lake offers a somewhat rare opportunity to target "keeper" Yellow Perch in the Waterville area.

Other species sampled in 2022 include Bigmouth Buffalo (1.9/net), Black Bullhead (2.8/net), Bluegill (0.9/net), Bowfin (7.6/net), Common Carp (3.1/net), Freshwater Drum (7.3/net), Golden Shiner (0.1/net), White Bass (0.4/net), and Yellow Bullhead (1.3/net).

Water clarity was poor with a secchi depth of just 2 feet. Water temperature and dissolved oxygen readings ranged from 7.5 ppm and 77.9 degrees Fahrenheit at the surface to 6.5 ppm and 77.9 degrees Fahrenheit at 12 feet. No thermocline was detected.

Anglers can play an important role in maintaining or improving a fish population by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest allows for the harvest of smaller fish for consumption, while encouraging the release of medium to large fish that may contribute to natural reproduction. This practice helps maintain balance in the fish populations and provides anglers the opportunity to catch more and larger fish in the future. Additionally, smaller fish often taste better and have fewer contaminants than larger, older fish from the same water body.

Shoreline property owners also play an important role in the overall health of an aquatic ecosystem, including the fish population. Natural shorelines, including vegetation, woody debris, and bottom substrates, provide valuable habitat for fish and wildlife, help maintain water quality, and reduce bank erosion. Cattails and bulrushes are particularly beneficial for fish spawning, rearing, and feeding. By leaving natural shorelines unaltered or restoring them to natural conditions, shoreline property owners are doing their part to maintain or improve a healthy ecosystem in the lake and protect the resource for future generations.

- Sky Wigen, fisheries specialist

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