Lee

Lee Lake is a 134-acre lake located in eastern Clay County. Some new development of lakeshore has occurred since 2011, but overall, the shoreline is the same as it was in the 1960's. Anglers reported poor fishing on Lee Lake and questioned the possibility of winterkill occurring during the winter of 2022-2023. This targeted fisheries survey was completed in August 2023 to assess the status of the fish populations. One gill net and five special trap nets were used to sample Lee Lake. Both gears captured Black Bullhead, Northern Pike, and Yellow Perch. The average size of Northern Pike sampled was 16 inches while the average size of Yellow Perch was 6.5 inches. No Bluegill or Largemouth Bass were captured or observed in shallow water. As a result, Walleye, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Black Crappie were reintroduced during 2023. Angling opportunities for Northern Pike are still available, but it will take a few years to have quality fishing for other species.

Lee Lake is a 134-acre lake located in eastern Clay County. For a small lake, it is relatively deep with a maximum depth of 36 feet. There is a state-owned ramp located on the northwest side of the lake off of Minnesota Highway 32 and 7th Ave south. A standard fisheries survey was completed in early August 2022 to assess the fish populations. Lee Lake has reportedly winterkilled in the past, with the last severe winterkill occurring during the winter of 2022 to 2023. This kill occurred after this survey was completed, so the fish population has changed from what is reported here. Northern Pike catch rates in gill nets have fluctuated over the years of surveys. In 2022, catch rates were 7.8 fish per gill net, slightly above the historical average for the lake. The average length of Northern Pike sampled in 2022 was 21.2 inches and ranged from 16.0 to 27.1 inches. Walleye gill net catch rates continued to decline and dipped below Lee Lake's historical catch rate in 2022 catching only 1.8 Walleye per gill net. The historic average catch rate is 2.1 Walleye per gill net. Walleyes collected in gill nets averaged 18.8 inches long and ranged in size from 10.1 to 24.8 inches. Bluegill abundance in 2022 was slightly below average. Bluegill had an average length of 4.2 inches and ranged from 2.8 to 8.3 inches. Only 3% of the Bluegills were over seven inches in 2022. Black Crappie abundance declined from the last survey in 2015. Crappie measured 5.5 to 9.8 inches and an average length of 7.3 inches. Largemouth Bass catches at Lee Lake have historically been low. In 2022, only five fish were sampled. These fish ranged from 7.1 to 19.8 inches and averaged 12.1 inches. The Yellow Perch gill net catch rate (38.7 per net) remained above the historical average of 26.2 per set. Yellow Perch average length was 6.1 inches with fish up to 9.5 inches measured. Other species sampled in the 2022 survey included Black, Brown, and Yellow Bullhead, Golden Shiner, Pumpkinseed, and White Sucker.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Lee Lake was conducted on August 5-6, 2019 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Sampling sites 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 sampling stations, but one station was sampled from the boat due to site conditions. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample four stations, a 15-foot seine was used at five stations, and site conditions prevented the use of seines at one station. Nearshore sampling captured ten species of fish including no species that are intolerant of disturbance and two that are tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Fathead Minnow and Green Sunfish). A concurrent summer trap net survey was conducted on August 5-7, 2019 by IBI Program Staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline in locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Bluegill, Yellow Perch, and Brown Bullhead comprised a majority of the trap net catch by number. The number of Bluegill sampled per net was similar to the 50% quartile for similar Lake Class 34 lakes and the average length was 6.1 inches, with only 2% over 7 inches. Conversely, the number of Black Crappie sampled per net was below the 50% quartile for Lake Class 34 lakes. White Sucker and Brown Bullhead comprised a majority of the catch by biomass. The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from a July 2015 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., Fathead Minnow and Green Sunfish). 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. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Buffalo River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Green Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Hybrid Sunfish, and Yellow Perch in Lee. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Lee has a maximum depth of 36 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Lee is from 2023.

Yes — Lee has confirmed zebra mussel. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.