Darling

Lake Darling is a 1,050-acre basin located on the northwest edge of the city of Alexandria and is part of the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. There is no public access on Lake Darling. However, boaters can gain access via a navigable channel from Lake Carlos. Additionally, Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center is located along the west shore. The lake is popular for both angling and other water-based recreation. Most of the shoreline is heavily developed with residential housing. Water quality and clarity are good with mid-summer water transparency reaching 20 feet in recent surveys. The lake supports an abundant and diverse aquatic plant community. Aquatic plants help maintain water quality and clarity by competing with algae for available nutrients in the lake. Aquatic plants also provide spawning habitat and cover for many fish species, especially bass and panfishes. Turtle Bay on the west end of the lake is posted as a no-wake zone to protect aquatic vegetation. Largemouth Bass (79.0/hour ) are lower than past surveys, but still abundant. However, changes in sampling methods only allow a comparison to the 2016 survey (50.2/hour). Average and maximum length were 12.6 and 17.3 inches, respectively. Size structure appears to be improving, especially for bass 15 inches and greater. Northern Pike relative abundance (20.5/gill net) was the second highest on record, only slightly lower than the 2020 survey (21.2/gill net). Most pike were small, being below the protected slot. However, large pike were sampled, with the largest being 32.4 inches. Anglers are encouraged to harvest small Northern Pike. New Northern Pike regulations were implemented in 2018 to increase size structure. Lake Darling is in the North-Central Zone, where all pike from 22 to 26 inches must be released. Anglers can keep 10 pike, but not more than two can be longer than 26 inches. Northern Pike taken by spearing follow the same rules, except one pike may be between 22 and 26 inches, or two larger than 26 inches. For more information see: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/pike/index.html. Walleye abundance (2.3/gill net) is low, similar to past surveys. Of the few Walleye that were sampled, most were young, being dominated by the 2022 year class (56%). Mean length in gill nets was 15.0 inches, while the largest Walleye sampled was 27.2 inches. No Walleye were sampled from the 2012 to 2017 year classes, corresponding to peak water clarity as a result of zebra mussels. A recent decreasing trend in water clarity may benefit future stockings, although Walleye have never been abundant in Lake Darling. Fingerling stockings began in 2000 and have taken place on an annual basis since that time. Annual and mixed age stocking do not allow for evaluations of natural reproduction. Fingerling stockings do not appear to be contributing much to the fishery as evident by pre-fingerling stocking Walleye relative abundance exceeding that of post-stocking. However, even before fingerlings were stocked directly into Lake Darling, stocking was still taking place in the rest of the Alexandria Chain of Lakes and fish may have been moving between basins. Bluegill relative abundance (19.0/trap net) was the lowest on record, but still moderately abundant. Most fish were young, leading to a small average size (4.9 inches). The largest Bluegill sampled being 8.9 inches. Few Black Crappie were sampled (0.1/trap net; 0.9/gill net), not atypical of mid-summer surveys. Yellow Perch continue to be sampled at very low numbers (0.2/gill net). Other species sampled include Bowfin (Dogfish), Brown Bullhead, Common Carp, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, Tullibee (Cisco), White Sucker and Yellow Bullhead. A Muskellunge was also observed while electrofishing for Largemouth Bass. They are not stocked into Lake Darling. Lake Darling was designated as an infested water after discovery of zebra mussels in 2009. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are easily moved from infested to non-infested waters and can negatively affect lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants and animals from their watercraft and drain water from their boat before leaving the access. For more information regarding aquatic invasive species see the following: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/aquatic/index.html.

A targeted survey of the nearshore fish community in Darling Lake was conducted by Fisheries Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff from 19-22 July 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 one site sampled from the boat. A 50-foot seine was used to sample eleven 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 one sampling site. Nearshore sampling captured 30 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 three species (Black Bullhead, Fathead Minnow, and Green Sunfish) that are tolerant of disturbance. A concurrent summer trap net survey was conducted on 19-22 July 2021 by IBI Program Staff. Twelve trap nets were set along the shoreline that encompassed multiple habitat types. Bluegill and Pumpkinseed comprised a majority of the trap net catch by number and Common Carp, Bluegill and Northern Pike comprised a majority of the catch by biomass. The number of Bluegill sampled per net was very near the 50% quartile for similar Lake Class 27 lakes and the average length was 6.5 inches, with 23% over 7 inches. The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from a July 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 indicates Darling Lake 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.

Lake Darling is a 1,050-acre basin located on the northwest edge of the city of Alexandria and is part of the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. There is no public access on Lake Darling. However, boaters can gain access via a navigable channel from Lake Carlos. The lake is popular for both angling and other water-based recreation. The 450-acre Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center is located along the west shore. Most of the shoreline is heavily developed with residential housing. Water quality and clarity are good. Mid-summer water transparency was recorded at 20 feet. The lake supports an abundant and diverse aquatic plant community. Aquatic plants help maintain water quality and clarity by competing with algae for available nutrients in the lake. Aquatic plants also provide spawning habitat and cover for many fish species, especially bass and panfishes. Turtle Bay on the west end of the lake is posted as a no-wake zone to protect aquatic vegetation. A standard fisheries survey was completed during summer 2020 to provide updated information on the fish community of Lake Darling. Standard survey components typically include spring electrofishing, gill nets, and trap nets. However, due to safety concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, gill nets were the only component used in 2020. Lake Darling sustains a modest Walleye fishery. Some natural recruitment or immigration from connected basins is supplemented with combined fingerling and yearling stockings by the DNR and private user groups. Despite high stocking levels, gill net catch rates for Walleye declined in 2020 to 1.3 Walleye/net. A majority of Walleye caught during the survey were age 6 and older. Average length was 18.7 inches. Lake Darling supports abundant populations of Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, and Bluegills. Due to moderate fertility of the lake and high abundance of these fishes, growth rates are slow. Fortunately, gamefishes in Lake Darling live to be quite old, thus it does support some larger fish. An 8.0-inch Bluegill may be 9 or 10 years old and several fish that large and old were observed during the survey. Largemouth Bass also grow slow but have been shown to live up to 19 years old in the Alexandria Chain of Lakes. Northern Pike are overly abundant and anglers are encouraged to take advantage of the new pike regulations and harvest fish less than 22 inches long. Few Black Crappies are captured during summer surveys since larger fish move off-shore and are less vulnerable to capture. Low catch rates recorded in surveys does not accurately reflect abundance and size distribution. Lake Darling does support good crappie fishing, particularly during spring months. Adult Yellow Perch numbers have consistently been low. Yellow Perch are preferred prey of Walleye, Northern Pike, and Largemouth Bass. Additional species sampled include hybrid sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, Tullibee (Cisco), White Sucker, and Black, Brown, and Yellow Bullhead. The next standard fisheries survey is tentatively scheduled for 2024. Quality fishing opportunities exist for many species in Lake Darling. Even modest harvest of slow-growing, older fish can degrade fishing quality. Anglers are encouraged to practice selective harvest to help maintain and improve the quality of the Lake Darling fishery. Selective harvest encourages release of larger fish while promoting 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 Darling was designated as an infested water after discovery of zebra mussels in 2009. Minnesota statutes require all equipment be free of invasive species prior to leaving any access. Recreational users should take necessary precautions to prevent further spread of invasive species.

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

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

Darling has a maximum depth of 62 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

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