Wellner-Hageman Reservoir

Wellner-Hageman Reservoir (aka Mound Creek Reservoir), near Sanborn, is a man-made 70-acre lake located in Brown County. The class 33 reservoir was created in the spring of 1993 for flood and erosion control for Mound Creek and lower portions of the Cottonwood River. Wellner-Hageman Reservoir is within a large watershed (8,600 acres) and has a watershed-to-lake ratio of 123 to 1, a very high ratio. Managing populations of fish in a reservoir within a large watershed typically means the water is being replaced in the basin quite often. When you have that much water moving through a reservoir, the fish populations tend to be variable and therefore difficult to maintain for the long term. The health of a lake is directly related to the health of the land practices in its watershed. Poor land practices will equate to poor water quality and poor aquatic life sustainability, and vice versa. The Wellner-Hageman fish population is a reflection of its watershed; low species richness, highly variable, and in need of constant monitoring or maintenance (in this case fish assessment and stocking). Bluegill, Black Crappie, Channel Catfish, Walleye, and Northern Pike have been stocked at various times since 1993. Currently, the reservoir is managed primarily for Black Crappie and Bluegill and secondarily for Northern Pike, Walleye, and Yellow Perch. A population assessment was conducted the week of July 25, 2022 with 1 gill net and 8 trap nets to assess the fish community. Six species were caught during sampling with White Sucker being the most abundant by percent total biomass (54.9%), followed by Bluegill (18.2%), Black Crappie (16.9%), Walleye (7.9%), Yellow Perch (2.1%), and Green Sunfish (0.1%). Wellner-Hageman is a simple fish community that is made up of species that are stocked (Black Crappie, Bluegill, and Walleye) or that reside upstream of the dam (White Sucker, Green Sunfish, and Yellow Perch). From 2013 to 2021 only Walleye have been stocked. However, Black Crappie and Bluegill were stocked historically with the last stocking occurring in 2005 for Black Crappie and 1994 for Bluegill. After the 2022 survey, during the fall of 2022, Northern Pike were stocked as an additional predator in the lake. The following paragraphs outline the status of Walleye, Black Crappie, and Bluegill in Wellner-Hageman Reservoir. Relative abundance of Walleye has remained stable in Wellner-Hageman Reservoir from 2016 to 2022 with 3.0 Walleye per gillnet captured during each survey. Walleye in the gill net sample (n=3) ranged from 20.9 inches to 26.8 inches with a mean length of 24.2 inches. It is unusual to have a minimum range value starting above 20 inches, indicating large Walleye are present in Wellner-Hageman Reservoir and doing well. Angling could be hit-or-miss for Walleye, however, when a Walleye is caught it could be fairly large. This bodes well for Wellner-Hageman Reservoir as the lake can be utilized by families with kids that may have a chance to catch a nice sized Walleye. Additionally, large Walleye are necessary as a top predator in the lake. During the fall of 2022, Northern Pike were stocked as an additional predator and should help to eat up some of the highly abundant White Sucker in the lake. Walleye yearlings and adults will continue to be stocked to provide an angling opportunity in Wellner-Hageman Reservoir. Black Crappie were the second most abundant panfish, by biomass, in the survey in 2022. The gill net captured 50 Black Crappie, the most every captured via gill netting. Trap nets are more reliable when trying to determine relative abundance of Black Crappie. Trap nets captured 20.6 per trap net, the third highest recorded. Black Crappie in the gill net ranged in length from 4.5 inches to 8.7 inches with a mean length of just over 6.5 inches. Black Crappie in the trap net sampled ranged from 5 to just under 10 inches with a mean length of 7.5 inches. The amount of Black Crappie 6 inches or larger is promising for the future of the fishery. Black Crappie angling should be good. Bluegill are the bright spot in the Wellner-Hageman fish community. The trap net catch rate was 31.1 per net, the greatest ever observed. Bluegill ranged in length from 4.3 to 8.5 inches with a mean length of 6.0 inches. While this size range includes some fish susceptible to harvest (typically greater than 7 inches), many Bluegill are still too small for anglers to keep. However, health of the Bluegill in the sample was good. Bluegill angling should be good, if not excellent, on Wellner-Hageman over the next several years. Overall, the populations of Black Crappie and Bluegill in Wellner-Hageman are poised to provide excellent angling for the next several years. Many harvestable fish should be available in the reservoir over the next 2-3 years with some fish close to or over 9 inches possible. In addition to excellent Bluegill fishing, Largemouth Bass (not sampled in gill nets or trap nets in 2022) are becoming more abundant in Wellner-Hageman and rely on Bluegill for prey. Personal contacts with anglers have mentioned good angling experiences for largemouth bass in Wellner-Hageman. Bluegill will drive a lot of the ecological balance within the reservoir between now and the new survey in 2028.

Wellner-Hageman Reservoir, near Sanborn, is a man-made 70-acre lake located in Brown County. The DNR class 33 reservoir was created in the spring of 1993 for flood and erosion control for Mound Creek and lower portions of the Cottonwood River. Wellner-Hageman Reservoir is within a large watershed (8,600 acres) and has a watershed-to-lake ratio of 123 to 1, a very high ratio. The health of a lake with a high ratio is subject to the land practices in its watershed. Poor land practices will equate to poor water quality and poor aquatic life sustainability and vice versa. Bluegill, black crappie, channel catfish, walleye, and northern pike have been stocked at various times since 1993. Currently, the reservoir is managed primarily for northern pike and secondarily for black crappie, walleye, and yellow perch. A population assessment was in June 2016 with 1 gill net and 7 trap nets to assess the fish community. No Northern Pike have been sampled in Wellner-Hageman for 4 consecutive surveys. This is an indication that conditions are not favorable for Northern Pike to sustain themselves at a catchable population density. Black Crappie and Yellow Perch have a much better track record in Wellner-Hageman reservoir. The catch rate of Black Crappie in 2016 was 2 per gill net and 1.3 per trap net. While these numbers are down from previous years, they are still within the normal range for gill nets and trap nets. Black Crappie ranged in length from 7 to 8 inches representing only 1 age group. The overall health of the Black Crappie was good. The Yellow Perch net catch in 2016 was the highest observed for both gill nets (340 per net) and trap nets (21.7 per net). The gill net catch was nearly 5 times the long-term average of 71 per gill net and the trap net catch was just over 5 times the long-term average of 4.2 per trap net. The Yellow Perch ranged in length from nearly 5.5 to 7 inches and were also the result of 1 age group. The overall health of the Yellow Perch was fair. Black Crappie and Yellow Perch fishing should be good, if not excellent, over the next several years in Wellner-Hageman. Bluegill were plentiful in Wellner-Hageman reservoir in 2016. The trap net catch rate was 21.6 which is within the normal range, but over 1.5 times greater than the long-term catch rate of 12.8 per trap net. Bluegill ranged in length from 5 to 7 inches with a mean length of just under 6.5 inches. The overall health of the Bluegill was excellent. The Bluegill population should dominate the nearshore fish community in Wellner-Hageman and should be the most abundant fish caught by shore anglers. In 2016, the catch rate of Walleye in the gill net was 3 per net and the catch rate in the trap nets was 1 per net for a total of 10 Walleye captured in 2016. The length of the Walleye in the sample ranged from 12 to 23 inches. The overall health of the Walleye was fair. While Walleye may not be extremely numerous in Wellner-Hageman, the fish that are caught by anglers should be decent sized. Other species caught in the 2016 survey were Black Bullhead, Common Carp, Green Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, and White Sucker. These fish were not captured well enough in nets to make a determination on their status in the lake; they are simply residents of the fish community and could be sought by anglers if they desired.

Wellner-Hageman Reservoir, near Sanborn, is a man-made 70-acre lake located in Brown County. The class 33 reservoir was created in the spring of 1993 for flood and erosion control for Mound Creek and lower portions of the Cottonwood River. Bluegill, black crappie, channel catfish, walleye, and northern pike have been stocked at various times since 1993. Currently, the reservoir is managed primarily for northern pike and secondarily for black crappie, walleye, and yellow perch. A population assessment was conducted the week of July 12, 2010 to assess the fish community. No northern pike were sampled in gill nets or trap nets in 2010. Only 2 northern pike were caught in trap nets since 1996, both were caught in 2000. The lack of northern pike in the sampling gear may not be a true indication of abundance as the reservoir has very steep shorelines that make sampling with nets difficult. Information from anglers suggests that a fishable population of northern pike exists in the reservoir; ice fisherman claim to have the most luck targeting northern pike in the reservoir. Future surveys may include additional sampling methods to get a better idea of the abundance of northern pike in Wellner-Hageman Reservoir. The black crappie catch rate was 11.5 fish/trap net during the 2010 survey. The catch rate was nearly three times the expected value of 4.25 fish/trap net for lake class 33, but less than the long-term catch rate average of 30.0 fish/trap net. The length of black crappie in the sample ranged from 4 to 10 inches with a mean length of 7 inches. The size structure of the black crappie in the sample indicated that the black crappie population in the reservoir may be dominated by smaller individuals. The condition of the black crappie in the sample was excellent. The black crappie population appears to be stable and healthy. As the population ages and grows in the next year, black crappie angling should be great as larger individuals (greater than 8 inches) will become more common. Only one walleye was caught in a trap net during the 2010 survey. The 26 inch walleye is the result of fingerling stocking, as are the rest of the walleye in Wellner-Hageman. Limited habitat and the frequent replacement of water within the reservoir most likely eliminate the possibility of a naturally reproduced year-class of walleye. A combination of fingerlings, yearlings, and adults were stocked in the fall of 2010 and should help to increase the abundance of walleye in the reservoir. Fishing for walleye can be hit or miss in the reservoir and maintaining a fishable population in Wellner-Hageman is likely dependent on maintaining the current MN DNR stocking plan. The yellow perch catch rate was 61 fish/gill net during the 2010 survey and was 3 times the upper quartile value of 19.1 fish/gill net. The catch rate in trap nets was 3.4 fish/net and was similar to the upper quartile value of 3.6 fish/trap net. Catch rates in both types of nets were the greatest observed since sampling began in 1996. Total lengths of yellow perch ranged from 5 to 9 inches with a mean of 6.5 inches. The yellow perch population is dominated by smaller individuals. Most (70%) of the fish in the sample ranged from 5 to 6.5 inches and are from a single year class (all the same age). The condition of the yellow perch in the sample was good indicating the perch are finding plenty to eat. The yellow perch population appears to be stable and healthy. The angling outlook for yellow perch is excellent as the smaller dominant year class ages over the next few years. The bluegill catch rate in the trap nets was 29.3 fish/net in 2010, which is the greatest observed catch rate in the reservoir and within the interquartile range (2.9 to 41.2 fish/net) for lake class 33. Wellner-Hageman has never had spectacular bluegill reproduction and abundance due to the lack of aquatic vegetation, which is a habitat requirement for bluegill. In 2004, the catch rate was 0.9 fish/net. Since 2004, it appears that 3 or 4 solid year classes have been recruited to the fishery. Total lengths of bluegill in the sample range from 3 to 9 inches with a mean of 6 inches. The outlook of the bluegill population is great as the population appears to be reproducing regularly and is healthy. Additionally, during the week of the survey there appeared to be an abundance of adequate aquatic vegetation which indicates that habitat in the reservoir is improving. There is a lack of quality bluegill fishing in the Windom fisheries management area, and the emergence of Wellner-Hageman as a quality bluegill fishery is encouraging. Wellner-Hageman should be a destination for panfish anglers in the Windom Fisheries Management Area. To promote and maintain healthy fish populations, pollution and other inputs need to be controlled. Fish habitats are directly affected by water quality. Nutrient, sediment and other waste inputs can drastically alter the biological, chemical, and physical components of a lake. It is paramount to maintain if not improve the current water quality of Wellner-Hageman Reservoir through watershed management to preserve this fishery for future generations to enjoy. Other species sampled at low abundance were common carp (n=3), pumpkinseed (n=3), largemouth bass (n=1), orangespotted sunfish (n=1), and black bullhead (n=1). Prepared by Nate Hodgins

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Walleye, Northern Pike, Channel Catfish, Black Crappie, and Largemouth Bass in Wellner-Hageman Reservoir. 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 Wellner-Hageman Reservoir. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

Wellner-Hageman Reservoir has a maximum depth of 24 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Wellner-Hageman Reservoir is from 2022.

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