Round

Fall night electrofishing was conducted on 9/9/2025. Night electrofishing in the fall is a common method used to monitor the abundance of young-of-the-year (YOY) and yearling (age 1) Walleye. This survey is intended to provide information on Walleye survival and recruitment (both natural and from fry stocking) and will be conducted annually as time permits. The entire length of the shoreline was sampled for a total sample time of 1 hour and 50 minutes. This resulted in a YOY Walleye catch rate of 5.5 per hour. The 2025 YOY catch rate was up a bit from the 2024 assessment (4 per hour) but was the lowest on record for a fry stocked year. Previous catch rates during fry stocked years ranged from 25.0 to 45.7 YOY per hour and averaged 33.5 YOY per hour. Some natural reproduction occurs but is not enough to sustain the desired Walleye fishery and meet management goals, therefore Walleye fry are stocked in alternating odd years. YOY catch rates in non-stocked years have ranged from 4.0 to 16.6 per hour and averaged 8.8 per hour. Young-of-year Walleye ranged from 4.8 to 6.4 inches and averaged 5.5 inches, similar to other stocked years. The catch rate for age-1 Walleye was 5.5 per hour and within the range of past catch rates.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Round Lake was conducted on July 21- 23, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment Program (LBMA) staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot seine. Backpack electrofishing was completed at 14 sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample 14 stations. Nearshore sampling captured 11 species of fish including three species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass). A concurrent summer trap net survey was also conducted by LBMA staff. Twelve trap nets were set along the shoreline in locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Trap net sampling captured seven species of fish. Bluegill comprised a majority of the catch by number, whereas Bluegill and Walleye comprised a majority by biomass. The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from an August 2024 survey to describe the fish community and provide a fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. 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. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Green Sunfish and Common Carp). 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. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Results from this survey provide evidence that the fish community in Round Lake may be adversely impacted by stressors and is near the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. These results are similar to previous findings, which stated that Round Lake is vulnerable to future impairment. The survey results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Mississippi River Brainerd watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with the MN Pollution Control Agency. You can help protect the fish community in Round Lake by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.

Fall night electrofishing was conducted on 9/27/2024 for the eighth consecutive year. Night electrofishing in the fall is a common tool used to monitor the abundance of young-of-the-year (YOY) and yearling (age 1) Walleye. This survey is intended to provide information on Walleye survival and recruitment (both natural and from fry stocking) and will be conducted annually as time permits. The entire length of the shoreline was sampled for a total sample time of 2 hours. This resulted in a YOY Walleye catch rate of four per hour. This catch rate was lower than past samplings, which have ranged from 7 to 45 per hour. Walleye fry are stocked in alternating odd years, therefore the few YOY observed were naturally reproduced. Fry stocked years have averaged 33 per hour and non-stocked years have averaged about 10 per hour. The YOY Walleye ranged from 6.1 to 6.6 inches and averaged 6.3 inches, slightly larger than usual for Round Lake. The catch rate for age-1 Walleye was 12.5 per hour, which is within the range of past catch rates of Age-1 Walleye at Round Lake.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Rock Bass, and Hybrid Sunfish in Round. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Round has a maximum depth of 59 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Round is from 2025.

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