Louise

Lake Louise is a small (215 acres), moderately developed basin located northwest of Alexandria in Douglas County. Water quality and clarity are good and the lake supports an abundant and diverse aquatic plant community. Habitat attributes are characteristic of a bass-panfish lake. Lake Louise is connected to Lake Charley to the north and North Union Lake to the south. Navigation on the channel between these basins is limited. A small public access is located along the northwest shoreline. Shore anglers enjoy fishing off the northeast shoreline along Sunset Strip NW and the inlet channel from Lake Charley. The fish community in Lake Louise is similar to many bass-panfish lakes found in west-central Minnesota. The lake supports abundant populations of Bluegills, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. At elevated population densities, these populations tend to have high proportions of small- and medium-sized fish. A majority of the Bluegill caught during the survey were 4.0 to 7.0 inches in length. A few 8.0 inch fish were measured during the 2023 survey. Largemouth Bass averaged 11.8 inches in length, but fish up 20.0 inches were observed. Northern Pike averaged 21.1 inches. The largest pike measured 35.0 inches, but most pike were less than 22.0 inches. Anglers are encouraged to harvest these surplus small gamefishes. Starting in May 2018, new Northern Pike regulations now allow harvest of more small pike. Lake Louise falls within the north-central pike zone and anglers are able to harvest up to ten Northern Pike less than 22.0 inches in length. Black Crappie and Walleye are present but survey catches are limited and population densities appear to be low. The few Walleyes that were caught ranged from 15.0 to 20.0 inches. The few crappies that were sampled ranged from 8.6 to 11.8 inches. Lake Louise was designated as an infested water after the discovery of zebra mussels in 2015. Recreational users should take necessary precautions to prevent the further spread of invasive species. Drain all water and remove all aquatic vegetation from your boat and trailer when leaving any body of water.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Louise Lake was conducted on August 1-3, 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 all ten sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample eight stations, a 15-foot seine was used at two stations. Nearshore sampling captured 19 species of fish including six species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Least Darter, and Rock Bass) and two that are tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Common Carp, and Green Sunfish). A summer trap net survey was also conducted by IBI Program staff on August 1-3, 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., Black Bullhead and Green Sunfish). Bluegill comprised a majority of the catch by number, whereas Pumpkinseed and Bluegill comprised a majority by biomass. The nearshore and trap net data will be combined with gill net data from a survey planned in 2023 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 Banded Killifish), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Common Carp, 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 Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

A targeted survey of the nearshore fish community was conducted by Fisheries Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff starting August 14, 2017. Ten 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 ten sites. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample six sites, a 15-foot seine was used at four sites. Nearshore sampling captured 19 native species of fish including seven species that are intolerant of disturbance (Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Least Darter, Mimic Shiner, and Rock Bass) and one species that is tolerant of disturbance (Green Sunfish). Data from this targeted nearshore survey is combined with trap net and gill net data from a June 2017 standard survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based Index of Biological Integrity (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. 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. The FIBI score for Louise Lake from this survey is exceptionally high and well above an impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. 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 of surface waters process completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

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

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

Louise has a maximum depth of 33 feet and a mean depth of 18 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Louise is from 2023.

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