Burgen

Lake Burgen is a 174-acre moderately fertile basin located on the southeast corner of Alexandria in Douglas County. The lake has a relatively unique basin morphology with steep shoreline breaks and limited shallow water area. Maximum and mean depths are approximately 43 and 31 feet, respectively. Lake Burgen lies within the Long Prairie River watershed and is connected to the Alexandria Chain of Lakes via a non-navigable channel to Lake Victoria. Residential development surrounds most of the shoreline. Water quality and clarity are considered good and have further increased in recent years following zebra mussel infestation. Secchi disk readings now exceed 15 feet during summer months. A public access is located on the north shoreline near the outlet to Lake Victoria. A standard MN DNR lake survey was completed in summer 2025 to assess the fish community of Lake Burgen. Survey methodology included electrofishing, gill nets, and trap nets. Survey results were indicative of a typical bass-panfish fishery found in smaller, vegetated basins in west-central Minnesota. Largemouth Bass and Bluegill were abundant but small- to medium-sized fish dominated these populations. Mean size of bass collected with electrofishing was just 9.9 inches but bass exceeding 18 inches were sampled. Mean size of Bluegill was 5.1 inches in the trap net sample and 6.5 inches in the gill net sample. Black Crappie and Yellow Perch provide additional panfishing opportunities. Too few Black Crappie were sampled in 2025 to accurately describe this population. The perch population has increased in recent years in terms of both abundance and size structure. Harvestable-size perch are available but are not common. Northern Pike were also abundant. Size structure of this population has improved in recent years, and many pike sampled exceeded the upper harvest limit (26 inches) of the North-central Zone regulation. See https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fish/northern/zones.html for more information on pike zone regulations. Walleye numbers have declined from the record-high levels observed during the 2019 survey. Only four Walleye, ranging in length from 15-21 inches, were sampled in 2025. Walleye fingerlings or yearlings are stocked by the MN DNR and Lake Burgen Association to help bolster this population. Other species sampled during the 2025 survey included Black, Brown, and Yellow Bullhead, Common Carp, hybrid sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, and White Sucker. Smallmouth Bass have been present in connected Lake Victoria since 2008, but this was the first time they have been sampled in Lake Burgen. The next standard lake survey is tentatively scheduled for 2031. Lake Burgen is designated as an infested waterbody due to the presence of zebra mussels. Adult zebra mussels were first confirmed in 2017. See https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/ais/index.html for more information regarding aquatic invasive species.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Burgen Lake was conducted on August 23-24, 2022 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Nearshore sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot seine. Nearshore sampling captured 15 species of fish including three species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Iowa Darter, Rock Bass, and Smallmouth Bass) and two species that are classified as tolerant of disturbance (i.e. Fathead Minnow and Green Sunfish). A concurrent summer trap net survey was conducted by IBI Program Staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline in locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Bluegill comprised a majority of the trap net catch by biomass and were most abundant by number. The number of Bluegill sampled per net was just below the 75% quartile for similar Lake Class 31 lakes and the average length was 5.1 inches, with 13% over 7 inches. Three tolerant species were sampled in the trap nets (i.e. Black Bullhead, Common Carp, and Green Sunfish). The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from a July 2019 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., Common Carp 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. Results from this survey will be considered when the biological health of Burgen Lake is assessed during the Long Prairie River Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Burgen Lake is a moderately productive, 184-acre basin located southeast of Alexandria. A concrete plank public access is located on the north shore, just off County Road 23. The lake has a relatively unique basin morphology with steep shoreline breaks and limited shallow-water area. Maximum depth is 43 feet. Average depth is estimated at 31 feet. Water quality is very good with average water transparency measures exceeding 12 feet during summer months. Burgen Lake supports abundant Largemouth Bass and panfish populations with moderate densities of Walleye and Northern Pike. A fisheries survey was completed on Burgen Lake, July 29-August 1, 2019. Six gill nets and nine trap nets were used to sample the fish community. Due to an increased effectiveness of springtime electrofishing sampling for Largemouth Bass, the bass population was surveyed in advance of the netting survey. Survey efforts yielded good numbers of Largemouth Bass and panfishes. Largemouth Bass averaged 13.9 inches. The largest bass caught exceeded 18.0 inches in length. Black Crappie catches during the 2019 survey increased to average 6.1/trap net. Most crappie captures were three-year-old fish. These fish averaged 8.2 inches. This strong year class will likely provide good fishing opportunities in coming years. Bluegill remain abundant. Average length of Bluegill captures was 6.6 inches. The largest approached 9.0 inches. Other gamefish catches common to the survey included Northern Pike, Walleye, and Yellow Perch. Northern Pike catches were modest, averaging 3.2/gill net. Most of the pike catch ranged from 14.0 to 24.0 inches, but large individuals are present. The largest pike caught measured 34.6 inches. Large Walleye fingerlings or yearlings are stocked to sustain fishing opportunities. Walleye catches averaged 4.0/gill net. This proved to be the highest recorded among all surveys. Average size was 17.0 inches and 2.1 lbs. Over 30% of Walleye exceeded 21.0 inches. Few Yellow Perch were captured during the 2019 survey. Gill net catches averaged only 0.5/gill net, which is below expected catch rates of similar lakes in Minnesota. Average size of perch caught in gill nets was 7.5 inches. Zebra Mussels, an aquatic invasive species, exist in Burgen Lake. Anglers are reminded to drain boats and equipment prior to moving between bodies of water to minimize the risk of transferring aquatic invasive species to this or other lakes.

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

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

Burgen has a maximum depth of 43 feet and a mean depth of 31 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

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