George Lake

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George Lake is an 84-acre lake that has a maximum depth of 11.0 ft., and is located within the City of Fairmont in Martin County. George Lake is the farthest downstream on a chain of five lakes collectively known as the "Fairmont Chain of Lakes". George Lake is managed primarily for Walleye and Muskellunge and secondarily for Bluegill, Crappie, Largemouth Bass and Yellow Perch. A standard survey was conducted the week of August 16, 2021 to monitor fish populations using gill nets and trap nets. An electrofishing survey was conducted May 17, 2021 to monitor the Largemouth Bass population.

Walleye catch rates at George Lake have ranged from 0.0 per gill net in 2017 to 20.0 per gill net in 1989, and have averaged 7.8 per gill net since 1984. In 2021, the Walleye catch rate was 10.5 per gill net, exceeding the long-term average and the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (2.3 to 17.8 per gill net). Two year classes of Walleye were sampled (age-2 and age-3), with the 2019 year class (age-2) comprising 67 percent of the sample. Both year classes correspond with stocking events, fingerlings in 2018 and fry in 2019. Lengths of Walleye ranged from 3.0 to 26.9 inches and averaged 15.7 inches. Mean Length at age-2 was 14.3 inches, indicating that Walleye grow fast in this system.

Muskellunge is also a primary management species in George Lake, but no Muskellunge were caught during the standard survey. Muskellunge are typically sampled in the Spring with large frame trap nets and it is not surprising that we did not sample one during the standard survey time frame. A targeted Muskellunge survey using large frame trap nets will be conducted in 2024 to assess the Muskellunge population.

In five surveys since 1993, the Bluegill catch rate has been less than 7.5 per trap net. In 2021, the Bluegill catch rate was 24.0 per trap net, which is above the long term average of 11.9 per trap net and is within the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (2.8 to 43.3 per trap net). Bluegill lengths ranged from 4.3 to 9.2 inches and averaged 7.6 inches.

Black Crappie catch rates have ranged from 0.0 per trap net in 1984 to 29.2 per trap net in 2001, averaging 13.1 per trap net since 1984. In 2021, the Black Crappie catch rate was 14.6 per trap net, which is within the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (1.3 to 27.7 per trap net). Black Crappie lengths ranged from 5.7 to 11.6 inches and averaged 8.7 inches.

The Yellow Perch catch rate in 2021 was 18.5 per gill net, which is within the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (2.5 to 25.8 per gill net), and was an increase from the 2017 catch rate of 3.5 per gill net. Lengths of Yellow Perch ranged from 5.9 to 10.2 inches and averaged 7.4 inches.

The 2021 catch rate of Largemouth Bass was 34.3 per hour, which is a slight decrease from the 2017 catch of 38.2 per hour, but is above the long-term average of 16.9 per hour. Lengths of Largemouth Bass ranged from 5.4 to 20.5 inches and averaged 13.3 inches. The wide range of lengths suggests that multiple year classes are present and that the population is able to sustain itself through natural reproduction.

Yellow Bass, which is a native fish to MN and not an invasive species, continues to thrive in the Fairmont Chain of Lakes. The 2021 catch rate was 293.0 per gill net, a drastic increase from 33.0 per gill net observed in 2017. Yellow Bass age-1 through age-5 were sampled, suggesting that they are producing a year class annually. Age-1 Yellow Bass were the most abundant, comprising 83 percent of the sample. Yellow Bass averaged 6.0, 8.1, and 10.4 inches at age-1, age-2, and age-5, respectively, suggesting that growth is fast at this time. Although Yellow Bass are native to Minnesota, this species has a tendency to dominate a fish community in terms of abundance and biomass. It is because of this reason why the general public often has a mistakenly call them an invasive species. Yellow Bass were likely introduce to the Fairmont Chain through an illegal stocking. It is illegal to move fish from one lake to another and it can have negative impacts on management activities in other basins.

The Channel Catfish catch rate was 3.0 per gill net in 2021, a decrease from 5.0 per gill net in 2017. Lengths of Channel Catfish ranged from 19.3 to 29.3 inches and averaged 22.6 inches. The Freshwater Drum catch rate decreased slightly from 23.0 per gill net in 2017 to 9.5 per gill net in 2021. Other species sampled included Bigmouth Buffalo, Black Bullhead, Common Carp, Golden Shiner, Northern Pike, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead.

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