Lions

Lions Lake is stormwater retention pond (7 acre) located in Mankato. Lions Lake is stocked annually with panfish to provide angling opportunities. Curly leaf pondweed is abundant in the spring but dies back in July for the remainder of the season. Shorefishing and pierfishing opportunites exist. The 2007 population assessment found abundant numbers of black crappie and black bullhead. Black crappie run small with most fish 6.5 - 8 inches. Black crappie averaged 39 per trap net. Black bullhead averaged 78 per trap net with most fish 5.5 - 7.5 inches and a few making 9 inches. Other species found in low numbers include bluegill, white crappie, pumpkinseed, largemouth bass, and yellow bullhead. Despite the low catches of northern pike in this survey, anglers report good pike fishing.

LION'S LAKE IS DOMINATED BY SMALL PANFISH, INCLUDING LMB, BLG, & BLC THAT GROW SLOWER THAN AVERAGE AS THEY GET OLDER. BLG PROVIDE MOST OF THE ANGLING OPPORTUNITY, WITH 35% OF THE FISH NETTED WERE >6.0 INCHES. BLG AVERAGED 61.00/TRAP NET COMPARED TO 47.66/TRAP NET IN 1990. GROWTH IS AVERAGE FOR BLG THROUGH AGE TWO AND THEN SLOWS. BLG ARE WELL REPRESENTED BY AGES 2 AND 3, WITH FEWER 4 YEAR OLDS. BLG WERE REPRESENTED BY AGES 2-6 IN 1990 AND EXHIBITED SLOW GROWTH AFTER AGE 2, WITH NO FISH EXCEEDING 7.0 INCHES. BLC CATCH RATES REMAIN HIGH AT 63.00/TRAP NET, COMPARED TO THE 48.00/TRAP NET IN 1990. AGE 3 BLC EXHIBIT SLOW GROWTH. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TWO LARGE CRAPPIE NETTED, THE CATCH WAS DOMINATED BY 2 AND 3 YEAR OLDS, WHICH WERE LESS THAN 6.0 INCHES. PMK WERE SAMPLED FOR THE FIRST TIME AND AVERAGE 20.00/TRAP NET; IT IS ASSUMED THEY WERE RECENTLY STOCKED. AGES 1-5 WERE NETTED, WITH TWO YEAR OLDS MOST ABUNDANT. GROWTH APPEARS TO BE GOOD FOR PMK, AVERAGING 6.9 INCHES AT AGE 5 COMPARED TO THE STATE AVERAGE OF 5.5 INCHES. OTHER SPECIES PRESENT IN LOW ABUNDANCE INCLUDE BLB, CCF LMB, NOP, AND WAE.

LION'S LAKE WAS USED IN A RESEARCH PROJECT TO EVALUATE THE ACCEPTANCE OF A CCF URBAN FISHERY FROM 1987-1988. PRIOR TO THE CATFISH, STUDY, LION'S LAKE HAD BEEN MANAGED AS A SUSTAINING LMB, BLG, AND CRAPPIE FISHERY. THE BLG CATCH RATE INCREASED FROM 24.57 IN 1985 TO 47.66/TRAP NET. BLGS SAMPLED WERE SMALL AND DOMINATED BY 2 YEAR OLDS (87%) WITH ALL FISH SAMPLED LESS THAN 7.0 INCHES IN LENGTH. BLGS SHOW SIGNS OF SLOW GROWTH AFTER THEIR SECOND YEAR WITH 4 YEAR OLDS AVERAGING 4.7 INCHES IN LENGTH. BLC CATCH RATES REMAIN HIGH AVERAGING 48.00/TRAP NET COMPARED TO 50.28/TAP NET IN 1985. BLC CONTINUE TO GROW SLOWLY WITH 3 YEAR OLDS AVERAGING 4.7 INCHES COMPARED TO THE 3 YEAR OLDS SAMPLED IN 1985 THAT AVERAGED 5.7 INCHES. THE STATE AVERAGE IS 6.8 INCHES AT 3 YEAR OLD. EIGHT YEARLING LMB WERE SAMPLED COMPARED TO NONE SAMPLED IN 1985. ONE CCF WAS SAMPLED AND IS PROBABLY A CARRY-OVER FROM THE STUDY. BLBS WERE SAMPLED IN LOW NUMBERS AVERAGING 14.00/TRAP NET COMPARED TO 56.14/TRAP NET IN 1985.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Black Crappie, White Crappie, Pumpkinseed, and Bluegill in Lions. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Lions. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

Lions has a maximum depth of 7 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Lions is from 2007. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

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