Constance Lake

How big is Constance Lake?

How deep is Constance Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Constance Lake?

What are the closest cities to Constance Lake?

Are there topographical lake maps available Constance Lake?

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 Constance Lake (.pdf format) along with 2,700 more lake maps. For more information on all the benefits of Lake-Link Pro click here.

Constance Lake

Are there boat launches on Constance Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Constance Lake?

What aquatic invasive species are found in Constance Lake?

Lake Constance is a 161-acre recreational development lake located 2 miles northwest of the City of Buffalo in central Wright County. It has a small watershed with the primary land uses being agriculture, forest, and pasture. The lake has poor water quality and has experienced both summer and winterkills in the past. The lake has no outlet so water levels can fluctuate dramatically depending on ground water conditions. A public access is located along the NW side of the lake with room for up to four truck/trailer combos. A standard lake survey was conducted in 2021 to update fisheries data last collected in 2011.

Walleye stocking has been attempted in the past with little success and was discontinued after 1990. No walleyes have been caught over the past two surveys.

Anglers have an opportunity to catch quality-sized Northern Pike. The low numbers of pike in the lake has allowed them to achieve a larger size. Anglers are still encouraged to harvest small pike (<22 inches) and release the medium-sized pike (>26 inches) to help protect this larger size structure. Northern Pike sampled ranged in length from 21 to 37 inches with an average length and weight of 29 inches and 6 pounds. Sixty-five percent of the pike caught were longer than 26 inches and 29% were longer than 30 inches.

Largemouth Bass may also provide a great angling opportunity with many quality-sized fish in the lake. Two hundred thirty- eight bass were sampled by daytime electrofishing in May 2021. The catch was much higher than previous surveys and three times higher than the average daytime catch for Sauk Rapids Area lakes. Bass sampled ranged in length from 6 to 19 inches with an average length of 13 inches. Most of the bass were good-sized with 52% being longer than 12 inches and 23% longer than 15 inches.

The Yellow Perch catch continues to be low. Only nine perch were caught and ranged in length from 6 to 12 inches with an average length of 9 inches. Since Northern Pike numbers are low and Walleye are absent, Yellow Perch abundance has the potential to increase over the next few years.

Panfish are another great asset to this lake. In 2021, trap net sampling was completed in the spring instead of summer for the first time. The goal was to capture a larger sample of crappie, but only one was caught. This was the lowest catch on record. However, crappie abundance appears to be good as the gill net catch was within the range of expected values for the lake class. Black Crappie sampled ranged in length from 6 to 11 inches and averaged eight 8 inches. Sixty-seven percent of the crappie sampled were longer than 8 inches and 6% were longer than 10 inches. Bluegill catches showed a similar trend as the trap net catch was also the lowest on record, but the gill net catch was the highest. Bluegill sampled ranged in length from 3 to 9 inches with an average length of 7 inches. Although some larger Bluegill were sampled, only 6% were over 8 inches.

Other species sampled during the survey included Brown Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead, Bowfin (Dogfish), Hybrid Sunfish, and Pumpkinseed.

People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Fish harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of aquatic invasive species (AIS) can all adversely affect fish populations. In 2016, Eurasian watermilfoil was identified in Lake Constance. AIS can be moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local DNR office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Sauk Rapids Area Fisheries office.

What is the average air temp for Constance Lake?