Bingham

Bingham Lake is a 269-acre lake, located in Cottonwood County. Since 2018, Bingham Lake has been included in a research project that is evaluating the performance of two strains of Walleye, the Lower Mississippi Strain (LMS) and the Mississippi Strain (MIS). However, during 2020, no stocking was done as no Walleye egg-take operations were conducted due to the start of the COVID pandemic causing a DNR close-contact work moratorium. Walleye stocking, including the performance evaluation, was restarted in 2021. The total fry quota for Bingham Lake was 137,000, of which half were MIS and half were LMS. The MIS Walleye come from northern Minnesota and until recently, were the primary strain stocked in Windom management area lakes. The LMS originated in the Cannon River system, was stocked in area lakes in the 1980's and early 1990's, and has persisted in some area Walleye populations despite extensive stocking of northern Minnesota strains of Walleye. LMS Walleye are present in Murray County's Lake Sarah, a lake that hasn't been stocked since 1991 because the Walleye population is sustained at high levels through natural reproduction. Bingham Lake has areas of spawning habitat and has shown sporadic natural reproduction, thus LMS Walleye have been stocked because anecdotal evidence suggests that they may have a survival advantage and natural reproduction potential in southern Minnesota lakes. To evaluate strain performance in 2022, 210 Walleye fingerlings were needed. Night electrofishing was used to collect the Walleye for the study. Standard night electrofishing (2 hours) was conducted by DNR research staff on 16 September 2022. The fingerling quota was not met with standard night electrofishing as no fingerlings were captured during 2 hours of electrofishing (0 per hour). Additional non-standard sampling utilizing day electrofishing and trap netting also failed to capture any fingerling Walleye. Therefore, no information regarding the genetic results could be obtained for 2022. While no fingerling were sampled in 2022, a standard survey was conducted during June 2022 where 22 adults were sampled. In addition, 9 adults were sampled while electrofishing for fingerlings.

INTRODUCTION Bingham Lake is a 274-acre lake located near the City of Bingham Lake in Cottonwood County. Bingham Lake has a maximum depth of 10 feet, a shoreline length of 3.2 miles. Bingham Lake has a watershed-to-lake ratio of 5-to-1 indicating a small watershed when compared to lake acreage. The lake is aerated in most years during ice cover by the Cottonwood County Sportsman's Club, but remains susceptible to low oxygen conditions during winter. Bingham Lake has had several recently documented fish kill events in the past 15 years as a result of low oxygen levels. During 2008 there was a summerkill event following an algae bloom resulting in low oxygen levels due to decomposition of algae. Oxygen levels were below 2 parts per million (ppm) and numerous dead Walleye, Channel Catfish, and Fathead Minnows were observed. When dissolved oxygen is less than 2 ppm the fish populations start to run the risk of mortality due to low oxygen. During the winter of 2013-2014 large amounts of snow cover and cold weather, coupled with a non-functional aeration system, led to increased duration of low to no light penetration on the lake which led to low dissolved oxygen levels. The lake experienced a severe winterkill of the fish population and the lake's fish population was substantially depleted. Only Black Bullhead were found alive in netting and electrofishing in the spring of 2014. Therefore, an intensive re-stocking effort occurred to re-introduce Bluegill, Northern Pike, Walleye, and Yellow Perch. A targeted survey was conducted during August 2015 to assess the re-introduction of fish into Bingham Lake. The re-introduction was successful with common carp absent from netting. Since then, Bingham Lake has been a part of a Walleye study looking at the potential advantage of a local strain of Walleye in relation to a northern Minnesota strain that has historically been stocked. A standard survey was conducted during June 2022 to assess the continued recovery of the fish community and evaluate the performance of Walleye stocking with 3 gill nets and 9 trap nets. WALLEYE Twenty-two Walleye were sampled in gill nets (n=19) and trap nets (n=3). The gill net catch rate of 6.3 per gill net is the third greatest catch observed but is less than the long-term average of 8.4 per gill net. Walleye caught in gill nets ranged in length from 13.1 inches to 25.9 inches with an average length of 20.1 inches. The length distribution of the fish in the gill net and trap net sample was good with many harvestable sized fish. With the exception of a few adult fish in the sample, the overall body condition was good with many healthy looking fish. While Walleye in the sample had an excellent length and weight distributions, catch rates have declined in recent years. Windom Area Fisheries Staff want to continue to develop and sustain good Walleye populations in SW Minnesota. Therefore, the Walleye population of Bingham Lake was part of a long-term study. Southwest Minnesota has seen increasing interest with Walleye genetics as the Lake Sarah Walleye strain (aka Canon River Strain) is gaining notoriety. Lake Sarah Walleye eggs have been fertilized and collected since 2015 by Windom Area DNR staff and those fish are now being stocked and established in southern Minnesota lakes. To determine whether those fish perform and persist better than northern strains of Walleye used historically, same numbers of Lake Sarah strain Walleye fry and Upper Mississippi strain Walleye fry were stocked each year since 2018. The study was just completed in 2022, and final results should be available soon. Very early indications are showing that there is an advantage with Lake Sarah strain Walleye, but the exact impact is not known at this point. Even so, some lakes still require advanced age stocking to help maintain a good number of fishable Walleye, which may be the case for Bingham Lake. BLUEGILL Bluegill were re-introduced following the 2013 to 2014 winterkill due to the re-emergence of aquatic vegetation (mostly clasping leaf pondweed) that provided excellent habitat. In 2022, the trap net catch rate of 4.6 per trap net is within the interquartile range but much less than the catch rate in 2018. The Bluegill in the trap nets ranged in length from 3.4 to 9.1 inches with a mean length of 4.7 inches. Aquatic vegetation continues to be present and is a major factor in the persistence of a Bluegill population. The entirely native submerged vegetation that is currently in Bingham Lake is providing habitat for Bluegill and refuge for them to hide from predators. As a result of this excellent habitat the population appeared to boom during 2018 and is most likely at a more sustainable, albeit lower level now. Angling should be good for numbers and decent sized Bluegill over the next several years. YELLOW PERCH Sixty-five Yellow Perch were caught in gill nets and 29 Yellow Perch were caught in trap nets. Gill net and trap net catch rates of 21.7 per gill net and 3.2 per trap net were toward the upper range of the expected quartiles for both. However, the gill net catch rate was less than the long-term average of 25.0 per gill net. Yellow Perch sampled in the gill nets ranged in length from 5.6 to 11.0 inches with a mean length of 8.1 inches. In trap nets Yellow Perch ranged in length from 5.4 to 10.5 inches with a mean length of 7.5 inches. Body condition of the Yellow Perch in the sample was less than average, but the fish appeared healthy. Yellow Perch appear to be well established with a balanced size structure. The population of Yellow Perch should increase in Bingham Lake as they continue to reestablish after the 2014 winterkill and subsequent restocking. Angling could be very good in the near future. OTHER SPECIES Other species sampled in Bingham Lake included Black Bullhead, Black Crappie, and Pumpkinseed Sunfish. Black Bullhead catch rates were 135.7 per gill net and 89.2 per trap net, both above expected catch rate ranges. Black Crappie trap net catch rate was 0.3 per trap net, or 3 fish. Pumpkinseed trap net catch rate was 2.3 per trap net for a total of 21 fish. Common Carp were absent in 2022, along with every netting or electrofishing sampling event that was done since the winterkill of 2014. Bingham Lake is currently a simple fish community with decent abundances of managed gamefish. SUMMARY Overall, Bingham Lake has rebounded well from the winterkill in 2013-2014. Angling has been good for Yellow Perch and large Walleye in recent years. Northern Pike catch rates should increase with a growing population. Continued stocking of yearling or adult Walleye will occur and Yellow Perch will be stocked if the gill net catch rate is less than 2.0 per net in any survey. In the meantime, barring another winterkill or summerkill, angling on Bingham Lake should be good, if not excellent.

Bingham Lake is a 259-acre lake, located in Cottonwood County near the City of Bingham Lake. Since 2018, Bingham Lake has been included in a research project that is evaluating the performance of two strains of Walleye, the Lower Mississippi Strain (LMS) and the Mississippi Strain (MIS). The total fry quota for Bingham Lake was 137,000, of which half were MIS and half were LMS. The MIS Walleye come from northern Minnesota and until recently, were the primary strain stocked in Windom management area lakes. The LMS originated in the Cannon River system, was stocked in area lakes in the 1980's and early 1990's, and has persisted in some area Walleye populations despite extensive stocking of northern Minnesota strains of Walleye. LMS Walleye are present in Murray County's Lake Sarah, a lake that hasn't been stocked since 1991 because the Walleye population is sustained at high levels through natural reproduction. Bingham Lake has areas of spawning habitat and has shown sporadic natural reproduction, thus LMS Walleye have been stocked because anecdotal evidence suggests that they may have a survival advantage and natural reproduction potential in southern Minnesota lakes. To evaluate strain performance, 50 Walleye yearlings and 210 Walleye fingerlings were needed from Bingham Lake in 2019. A gill net, trap nets and electrofishing were used to collect Walleye for the study. The fingerling quota was met as 213 fingerlings were captured with electrofishing (38.2 per hour) and 1 was captured in trap nets (16 net nights). Fingerlings ranged in length from 6.0 to 8.7 inches and averaged 7.3 inches. Yearlings were collected mainly by electrofishing (N=40), however trap nets (N=7) and a gill net (N=2) were also used. Yearlings ranged in length from 9.7 to 13.9 inches and averaged 12.0 inches. Results of which strain performed better are not yet available.

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

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

Bingham has a maximum depth of 10 feet and a mean depth of 8 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Bingham is from 2022.

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