Geneva

Lake Geneva is a 631-acre lake located on the eastern edge of the city of Alexandria and is part of the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. A navigable connection exists to Lake Le Homme Dieu. A connection also exists to Lake Victoria, but shallow water can make navigation difficult or impossible for some boats. There are two public accesses on Lake Geneva. The access on the east shoreline is steep with no dock and is more difficult to use. The access on the northwest shoreline is more user friendly. There is also a handicapped accessible public fishing pier located near the public access on the northwest shore. The fishing pier is located in a shallow bay that is a popular fishing spot for anglers throughout the open water season, but particularly in the spring. Boaters should be cautious of navigation hazards on the lake. Several shallow bars extend into the lake. Much of the shoreline on Lake Geneva has been developed. A standard fisheries survey was completed in August of 2024 to evaluate abundance and size distribution of gamefish populations. Lake Geneva supports a modest Walleye fishery, which is supplemented with combined fingerling stockings by the MN DNR and private user groups. Catches increased in 2024 to 4.3 Walleye/gill net surpassing the historic average for Lake Geneva. Eighty-two percent of Walleyes captured were larger than 15 inches. Average length was 20.1 inches. Northern Pike densities have fluctuated over time in Lake Geneva but do provide moderate angling opportunities for large fish (3.1 fish/gill net). Average length was 26.0 inches. The largest pike capture measured 34.5 inches. Anglers are reminded that new pike zone regulations were implemented in 2018. Lake Geneva is located in the North-Central Zone. Anglers can now keep up to 10 pike but not more than two can be over 26 inches in length. All pike between 22-26 inches must be immediately released. Harvesting smaller pike will help shift the population back towards larger individuals and reduce the number of predators for young Walleye and other gamefish. Lake Geneva supports abundant populations of Bluegill and Largemouth Bass. Due to moderate fertility of the lake and high abundance of these fishes, growth rates are below average to average. Fortunately, gamefishes in Lake Geneva can live to be quite old, thus it does support some larger fish. Forty-five percent of the Bluegill caught during the survey were over 7.0 inches and fish up to 9.0 inches were observed. Largemouth Bass also grow slow but have been shown to live up to at least 19 years old in the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. The largest bass caught during the survey was 18.7 inches. Few Black Crappie are caught during summer surveys since larger fish likely suspend offshore. Low Black Crappie catch rates recorded in surveys does not accurately reflect abundance and size distribution. Lake Geneva does support good crappie fishing and fish up to 11.4 inches were observed in the most recent survey. Adult Yellow Perch numbers significantly declined in 2012 and have continued to average 4.0 fish/gill net through the 2024 survey. Yellow Perch are preferred prey of Walleye, Northern Pike, and Largemouth Bass. Additional species sampled include Bowfin (dogfish), Common Carp, hybrid sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, White Sucker, and Brown and Yellow Bullhead. The next standard fisheries survey is tentatively scheduled for 2028. Quality fishing opportunities exist for many species in Lake Geneva. Even modest harvest of older fish can degrade fishing quality. Anglers are encouraged to practice selective harvest to help maintain and improve the quality of the Lake Geneva fishery. Selective harvest encourages the release of larger fish while allowing the harvest of more abundant smaller fish. Releasing medium to large fish will help restore and maintain fish community balance, as well as increase opportunities to catch large fish in the future. Lake Geneva was designated as an infested water after the discovery of zebra mussels in 2009. Eurasian Watermilfoil was also discovered in 2022. Minnesota statutes require all equipment be free of invasive species prior to leaving any access. Recreational users should take necessary precautions to prevent the further spread of invasive species.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Geneva Lake was conducted on August 8-10, 2022, by DNR 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 eight sampling stations, but two station was sampled from the boat due to site conditions. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample six stations, a 15-foot seine was used at six stations, and site conditions prevented the use of seines at two stations. Nearshore sampling captured 23 species of fish including eight species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Mimic Shiner, Pugnose Shiner, Rock Bass, and Smallmouth Bass) and one that is tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Green Sunfish). A summer trap net survey was also conducted by IBI Program staff on August 8-10, 2022. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline in locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Trap net sampling captured 13 species of fish, including two that are tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Common Carp and Green Sunfish). Bluegill comprised a majority of the catch by number, whereas Yellow Bullhead and Bluegill comprised a majority by biomass. The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from a 2020 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., Pugnose Shiner, Banded Killifish, and Blackchin Shiner), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., 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 Long Prairie Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

A targeted survey of the nearshore fish community in Geneva Lake was conducted by Fisheries Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff from 9-12 August 2021. Fourteen sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 15-foot or 50-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 14 sites with two sites sampled from the boat. A 50-foot seine was used to sample 9 sites, a 15-foot seine was used at two sites, and soft sediments with abundant vegetation and deep water prevented the use of seines at three sampling sites. Nearshore sampling captured 21 native species of fish including eight species that are intolerant of disturbance (Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Mimic Shiner, Pugnose Shiner, Rock Bass, and Smallmouth Bass) and one species (Green Sunfish) that is tolerant of disturbance. A concurrent summer trap net survey was conducted on 9-11 August 2021 by IBI Program Staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline that encompassed multiple habitat types. Bluegill comprised a majority of the trap net catch by number and Yellow Bullhead, Common Carp, and Bluegill comprised a majority of the catch by biomass. The number of Bluegill sampled per net was above the 50% quartile for similar Lake Class 27 lakes and the average length was 5.4 inches, with 7% over 7 inches. The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from an August 2020 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., Black Bullhead, 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 Long Prairie River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

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

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

Geneva has a maximum depth of 63 feet and a mean depth of 24 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Geneva is from 2024.

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