Temperance Lake

How big is Temperance Lake?

How deep is Temperance Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Temperance Lake?

What are the closest cities to Temperance Lake?

Are there boat launches on Temperance Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Temperance Lake?

INTRODUCTION
Temperance Lake is a 176-acre lake located just east of the City of Sherburn in Martin County. Temperance Lake is shallow lake, having a maximum depth of 5 ft. Due to its shallowness, the lake is prone to low oxygen levels in the winter. The last recorded low oxygen event occurred during the winter of 2018-2019; however, it was determined that the low oxygen had minimal effects on the fish population. Although Temperance Lake is located near the headwaters of the watershed, the water quality during the survey was poor as the water clarity was only 0.6 ft. The poor water quality is likely a result of nutrient runoff from nearby agricultural fields, stirring of sediment from common carp, and mixing of the lake bottom by wind events. The virtually unlimited nutrient supply provides an environment in which microscopic organisms, like algae, can thrive resulting in extreme algae blooms. Temperance Lake is managed for Northern Pike and Yellow Perch. Northern pike are stocked at a rate of 20 fingerlings per acre once every three years and have been stocked in 2005, 2008, and 2011. No Northern Pike were stocked in 2014 or 2017 due to low production of fingerlings in rearing ponds and a high population in the 2013 survey. A population assessment was conducted during the week of August 19, 2019 to monitor fish populations using 1 gill net and 6 trap nets.

NORTHERN PIKE
Catch rates of northern pike fluctuate a lot in Temperance Lake, ranging from 0 per gill net in 2019 to 48.5 per gill net in 1991. Record high catch rates were observed in 1991, the result of a naturally reproduced year class. The 2019 trap net catch rate was down from the previous survey in 2013, decreasing from 5.2 per trap net to 0.3 per trap net. Size structure of trap netted northern pike favored larger fish, as the 2 fish were 27.6 and 27.8 inches. The northern pike in Temperance Lake are likely fish that were stocked in 2011; however, natural reproduction has been documented in previous years, making it a possibility that they are naturally spawned fish. The availability of northern pike spawning habitat is often influenced by the amount of precipitation that floods plants near shore for fish to spawn in towards the end of March or beginning of April. The current stocking is maintaining some Northern Pike in the lake, but stocking will be used to boost the population. Northern Pike fingerling will be stocked in 2020 to help increase the population provided the rearing ponds produce.

YELLOW PERCH
Gill net catch rates of Yellow Perch in Temperance Lake have been up and down, ranging from 29 per gill net in 2013 to 348 per gill net in 2019. In 2019, the catch rate of Yellow Perch was 348 per gill net, which is the highest gill net catch for Temperance Lake. This comes after the 2013 survey which had the lowest catch rate. Size of the Yellow Perch was above average for southwest Minnesota. Yellow perch ranged in length from just over 5.5 inches to just shy of 10.5 inches and they averaged 7.5 inches. The size range of Yellow Perch is perfect for anglers, especially over the next year or two as they grow. Yellow perch were plump indicating they are finding adequate food. Angling for Yellow Perch should be good, if and when they bite, over the next few years.

OTHER SPECIES
Other species sampled in 2019 were Bigmouth Buffalo, Black Bullhead, Common Carp, Green Sunfish, Orangespotted Sunfish, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead. Black Bullhead, Common Carp, and White Sucker were caught within the expected catch rate ranges. Black Bullhead ranged in length from just over 6.5 inches to just shy of 11 inches and averaged nearly 9.5 inches indicating they may be large enough to target by anglers looking for some Black Bullhead to eat. Bigmouth Buffalo were caught slightly more than the expected catch rate range. Bigmouth Buffalo, along with Common Carp, can negatively impact lakes when they are at high abundance by suspending sediment that muddies the water with nutrients and chemicals that negatively impact water quality. Only 1 Green Sunfish and 4 Orangespotted Sunfish were caught, so not much can be said about them. They are typically found in and around rocks near shore if anglers wish to target Green Sunfish and Orangespotted Sunfish.

SUMMARY
Overall, Temperance Lake is typical of what is seen in southwest Minnesota when the lake is highly degraded and extremely shallow. The DNR often sees highs and lows in gamefish populations in these lakes, which is limited to Northern Pike and Yellow Perch for Temperance Lake. The DNR also observes undesirable species like Common Carp, Bigmouth Buffalo, and Black Bullhead dominating the fish community. Those three species together in Temperance Lake made up 53% of the gill net sample and 65% of the trap net sample by weight. On a positive note, Northern Pike and Yellow Perch tend to do well in shallow prairie lakes that are susceptible to low dissolved oxygen in the winter, like Temperance Lake. It appears that the Northern Pike and particularly the Yellow Perch populations are doing well and will provide a great angling opportunity over the next few years.

What is the average air temp for Temperance Lake?

Are there any state parks near Temperance Lake?