Cody Lake

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What kind of fish can you catch in Cody Lake?

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We have an topograpical map for online viewing near the top of this page. Lake-Link Pro users can download an print a topograpical map of Cody Lake (.pdf format) along with 2,700 more lake maps. For more information on all the benefits of Lake-Link Pro click here.

Cody Lake

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Cody Lake is a 257-acre lake located in Rice County near the town of Wheatland. A DNR-owned public access is located on the south side of the lake off Rice County Highway 59. Cody Lake has a maximum depth of 14 feet. Walleye fry were stocked in 2018 and 2019 following a suspected winterkill.

Cody Lake was surveyed the week of 16 August 2021 as part of a regular monitoring program conducted by the Minnesota DNR. This survey was intended to assess the fish community. Originally six gill nets and nine trap nets were planned to be used in 2021, but initial net catches were high and only two gill nets and 3 trap nets were used. Water quality parameters were also measured.

A total of 88 Yellow Perch were sampled with gill nets for a catch rate of 44.0/net, indicating moderate numbers were present. Yellow Perch catch rates have varied from 0.2/net to 61.8/net with an average of 20.8/net since 1990. Yellow Perch ranged from 6.1 to 10.2 inches with an average of 8.3 inches in 2021. Fish from both gears were 2 to 4 years old with three year-classes present. Three year old fish accounted for approximately 66% of the sample.

Black Bullheads were the most sampled fish with gillnets in 2021. A total of 1,025 ranging from 3.0 to 14.5 inches were sampled for a catch rate of 512.5/net, indicating extremely high numbers were present. Black Bullhead catch rates have varied from 15.0/net to 512.5/net with an average of 146.1/net since 1990. The Black Bullhead catch rate in 2021 was more than three times the previous historic high catch rate of 135.5 in 2015. Black Bullheads continue to thrive due to frequent, mild winterkills in Cody Lake.

Common Carp were sampled at 278.5/gill net which is the highest rate on record. Common Carp gill catch rates have varied from 0.0/net to 278.5/net with an average of 56.1/net since 1990. If the high gill net catch from 2021 is removed, the historic average is 11.6/net.

Walleye fry were stocked in Cody Lake in 2018 and 2019 after evidence of a winterkill in 2018. Anecdotally, the Walleye fishing was good during the fall and winter of 2020-2021. Unfortunately, a low number of Walleye were sampled in 2021. This could have been due to a partial winterkill as low, but not critically low, dissolved oxygen levels were found in the winter of 2021. An average of 3.5 Walleye were sampled per gill net in the 2021 survey. These fish ranged from 5.7 to 15.3 inches in length.

Other species sampled in low numbers included Black Crappie, Bluegill, and Green Sunfish. Although Northern pike are a primary management species, no Northern Pike have been stocked since the 2018 winterkill.

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 recruitment. This practice helps maintain balance in the fish community 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. 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.

-Tyler Fellows, fisheries specialist

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