Savanna

Savanna Lake is located within Savanna Portage State Park north of McGregor. State Park facilities on the lake include a boat launch, a group camp and the Garni Cabin, all of which are located on the east side of the lake. Savanna Lake has a history of an occasional winterkill, however the last was reported in the 1970s. The lake is a very popular destination for the State Park visitors and local residents. The current management plan for Savanna Lake called for a standard survey to be completed in 2017. The primary goal of this survey was to monitor trends with the fish populations, particularly bluegill, northern pike, black crappie and walleye, which make up the lake's main management species. Another objective of the survey was to assess a walleye fry stocking program that began in 2012, in an effort to establish a walleye fishery for State Park anglers. Savanna is one of the few lakes in the area that consistently produces large bluegills and typifies occasional partial winterkill lakes. The trap net catch rate for bluegill at 6.2/trap net is on the lower end of the normal range for this lake class and represented a decrease in catch rate from last survey. The mean size however, was good at 7.1 inches and 34 percent were larger than 8 inches. The catch rate and size structure fall within the desired management goals for the lake. The northern pike abundance at 7/gill net is near the top of the range for this type of lake and above the long term average for the lake of 6.4/gill net going back to 1970. Pike offer a good size structure for a small lake. The mean size of pike was 24.3 inches, with individuals measuring as large as 35 inches. Approximately 24% of pike sampled were longer than 28 inches, meeting the management expectations for the lake. Black crappie abundance can vary greatly in many lakes depending on year class strength, but have been pretty consistent on Savanna over the years. This year's 2017 catch rate of 22/gill net was the highest documented for this lake, which has a historical average of around 13/gillnet. The average size was not exceptional at 7.5 inches, but there was a good percentage (39%) larger than 8 inches with individuals up to 10 inches observed in the sample. Low numbers of walleye have been sampled periodically in Savanna Lake throughout survey history, the last in 2003. It's thought they are able to reach the lake during high water periods through the Savanna River, which is a tributary of the Prairie River and connected to Big Sandy Lake. Experimental walleye fry stocking began in 2012, to see if they could survive and offer a new opportunity for park visitors. No walleye were sampled in any gear during the 2017 survey indicating poor survival thus far. Yellow perch are present in the lake as well. Healthy perch populations are known to positively affect other species such as bluegill and northern pike. They offer a great forage base for northern pike and can also have a positive effect on bluegill size structure through competition. Catch rates for yellow perch were 16.3/per gill net, which is the second highest documented in survey history.

A targeted survey of the nearshore fish community on Savanna Lake was conducted on July 13, 2017. Sampling stations were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all ten stations with two sites sampled from the boat. A 50-foot seine was not used to sample any stations, a 15-foot seine was used at five station, and soft sediments with abundant emergent vegetation in deep water prevented the use of seines at five sampling sites. Nearshore sampling captured 12 native species of fish. Data from this targeted nearshore survey was combined with data from a standard gill and trap netting survey in August 2017 to calculate a Fish-based Index of Biologic Integrity (FIBI) score that describes the overall health of the lake. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. The FIBI score for Savanna Lake based on this survey is below the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the next Mississippi River-Grand Rapids Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.

Savanna Lake is located within Savanna Portage State Park north of McGregor. State Park facilities on the lake include a group camp on the southeast side of the lake and the Garni Cabin, also on the east side of the lake. Savanna Lake has a history of an occasional winterkill, however the last was reported in the 1970s. The northern pike and bluegill fishery make this lake a very popular destination for the State Park visitors and local residents. Northern pike are present in decent numbers for a small lake. While the average size is around 21.5 inches, some memorable sized northern pike are present. In 2008, 31% of all pike sampled were over 24 inches in total length. Savanna is one of the few lakes in the area that consistently produces large bluegills and typifies occasional winterkill lakes. There are a number of year classes present in the system now ranging from 2 to 10 years old, and the 2001 through 2003 appear strong. The average bluegill sampled was nearly 7 inches long with the largest fish around 8.9 inches. In order to catch even larger bluegills, anglers are encouraged to recycle some of the larger fish they catch. The larger 2001 year class, which averaged 7.7 inches long, is relatively young (7 yrs old). It's exciting to think how big they might be in another year or two! Black crappie are also popular with Savanna Lake anglers. Gill net and trap net catches for black crappie were at historical highs in the 1990s, but have since diminished in abundance. Surveys in 2003 and 2008 show that catches are about half of what they were in the 1990s. While the average size is not exceptional, some quality fish are available.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Northern Pike, Bluegill, Walleye, Black Crappie, and Yellow Perch in Savanna. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Savanna. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Savanna has a maximum depth of 23 feet and a mean depth of 13 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Savanna is from 2017. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

No invasive species are on record for Savanna in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.