Le Homme Dieu

Lake Le Homme Dieu is a 1,800-acre basin located on the northeast city limits of Alexandria and is part of the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. Navigable connections exist to Lake Carlos and Lake Geneva. The shoreline and most of the watershed are well developed. Water quality is good. Water transparency was 10 feet during the 2024 survey. Because of its clear water and close proximity to Alexandria, the lake is popular with anglers and recreational boaters. Boating pressure can be high on weekends during the summer. Two well-maintained accesses are available to the public. The City of Alexandria maintains a public swimming beach on the southeast shoreline. A public beach is also available on the northwest shoreline. Boaters should be cautious of marked navigation hazards on the lake. A shallow rock bar is located in the middle of the lake off the west shoreline. Shallow rock areas are also present off both points leading into the west bay. A standard fisheries survey was completed in August of 2024 to evaluate abundance and size distribution of gamefish populations. Lake Le Homme Dieu 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 3.5 Walleye/gill net. Forty-three percent of Walleyes captured were larger than 15 inches. Average length was 14.9 inches. The largest Walleye observed in gill nets was 25.3 inches. Northern Pike densities have been relatively stable in Lake Le Homme Dieu and provide moderate angling opportunities for large fish (4.2 fish/gill net). Average length was 25.3 inches. The largest pike measured 35.2 inches. Anglers are reminded that new pike zone regulations were implemented in 2018. Lake Le Homme Dieu 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 Le Homme Dieu supports abundant populations of Bluegill, Black Crappie, and Largemouth Bass. Due to moderate fertility of the lake and moderate to high abundance of these fishes, growth rates can be slow. Fortunately, gamefishes in Lake Le Homme Dieu live to be quite old, thus it does support some larger fish. Fifteen percent of the Bluegill caught during the survey were over 7.0 inches and fish up to 9.0 inches were observed. Few Black Crappie are caught during summer surveys since larger fish move offshore and are less vulnerable to capture. Low catch rates recorded in surveys do not accurately reflect crappie abundance and size structure. Lake Le Homme Dieu does support good crappie fishing. Black Crappie over 12.0 inches were observed in the 2024 survey. Largemouth Bass are abundant and have been shown to live up to at least 19 years old in the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. The largest bass caught during the 2024 survey was 19.0 inches in length. The Alexandria Chain of Lakes is a popular destination for bass tournaments. Yellow Perch numbers have consistently been low. Yellow Perch are preferred prey of Walleye, Northern Pike, and Largemouth Bass. Additional species sampled include Bowfin (dogfish), Common Carp, Greater and Shorthead Redhorse, hybrid sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, Tullibee (Cisco), White Sucker, and Black, Brown, and Yellow Bullhead. The next standard fisheries survey is tentatively scheduled for 2028. Quality fishing opportunities exist for many species in Lake Le Homme Dieu. 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 Le Homme Dieu 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 Le Homme Dieu was designated as an infested water after the discovery of zebra mussels in 2009. Eurasian watermilfoil was also discovered in 2012. 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 Le Homme Dieu Lake was conducted on August 7-10, 2023, 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 seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at eighteen sampling stations, but one station was sampled from the boat due soft sediments and vegetation. A 50-foot seine was used to sample seventeen stations, and site conditions prevented the use of seines at one station. Nearshore sampling captured twenty-four species of fish including nine species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Least Darter, Mimic Shiner, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, and Pugnose Shiner) and two that are tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Black Bullhead and Green Sunfish). A concurrent summer trap net survey was also conducted by IBI Program staff. Twelve trap nets were set along the shoreline in locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Trap net sampling captured thirteen species of fish, including one that is intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Rock Bass) and two that are tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Common Carp and Green Sunfish). Bluegill, Common Carp, and Bowfin comprised a majority of the biomass. 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, Least Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Black Bullhead 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. These results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Long Prairie River Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

A trap net survey was conducted on Lake Le Homme Dieu on August 2-5, 2021 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Twelve trap nets were set along the shoreline in locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Bluegill comprised a majority of the trap net catch by number. The number of Bluegill sampled per net was near the 75% quartile for similar Lake Class 22 lakes and the average length was 5.2 inches, with 4% over seven inches. Bluegill, Northern Pike and Walleye comprised a majority of the trap net catch by biomass. The fish data collected in this trap net survey were combined with data from an August 2020 gill net survey and July 2020 survey of nearshore fishes 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. Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Smallmouth Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g. Black Bullhead and Common Carp). 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 provides evidence that the fish community in Lake Le Homme Dieu is in good health as indicated by an FIBI score above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. 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, Northern Pike, and Rock Bass in Le Homme Dieu. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Le Homme Dieu has a maximum depth of 85 feet and a mean depth of 19 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

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