Penn

Penn Lake is a 31 acre shallow lake with a maximum depth of 7 feet. This lake serves an important environmental function as a groundwater infiltration site. Water that enters Penn Lake percolates into underground aquifers. A fisheries survey was performed following a severe winterkill during the 2009-2010 season. Water levels were very high during the summer survey. Bluegill and black crappie were stocked following the winterkill, per the Penn Lake Management Plan. Black crappie were sampled at low average abundance for this type of lake. Fish up to 10 inches were sampled. More black crappie were sampled than were stocked. Some black crappie survived the winterkill. Yellow perch were also sampled in average abundance. No large fish were sampled. This species also survived. Fish could have survived the winterkill by seeking refuge in a large storm sewer that connects to Penn Lake. Bluegill were present in low numbers, only three were captured. It is possible these were fish were stocked earlier in spring. Green sunfish and hybrid sunfish were also sampled. Black bullhead abundance was high. Numerous common carp were sampled, including young of the year. One bigmouth buffalo was caught.

Lower Penn Lake is annually stocked with adult black crappies and bluegills. Black crappies were the most abundant species sampled. The average length was 6.3 inches. Only 5% of the black crappies captured were over 8 inches in length. White crappies were also very abundant. Their average length was 6.8 inches. The bluegill population is within normal levels when compared to similar lakes, but their average length is only 4.4 inches. Only one bluegill over 6.0 inches was sampled in the trapnets, but growth is above average.The black bullhead and carp populations were much less abundant than in previous years. The average black bullhead was 7.2 inches while the average length carp was 15.8 inches.

THE FISH POPULATION OF LOWER PENN HAS CHANGED NOTICEABLY SINCE THE 1986 LAKE SURVEY. PARAMOUNT IN THIS CHANGE IS THE ABSENCE OF ANY PREDATOR FISH SAMPLED DURING THE 1991 POPULATION ASSESSMENT. FIELD DATA INDICATES THAT THE PRESENT POPULATION IS DOMINATED BY SMALL CAP AND CENS. THIS CHANGE IS LIKELY A RESULT OF THE 1988-1989 WINTERKILL. GSF AND BLG WERE SAMPLED WELL ABOVE MEDIAN LEVELS FOR NUMBER PER SET. HOWEVER, BLGS WERE BELOW MEDIAN LEVELS FOR PONDS PER SET. THE AVERAGE SIZE FOR EACH SPECIES IS LESS THAN 4.0 INCHES. BASED ON THE TRAP NET RESULTS, THE CALCULATED PSD VALUE FOR BLGS IN LOWER PENN IS 1.63%. AS A RESULT OF THE LARGE NUMBER OF SMALL ADULTS OF THESE TWO SPECIES, THE PROBABILITY OF NATURAL HYBRIDIZATION IS QUITE HIGH. THIS IS EVIDENT IN THE VERY HIGH NUMBER OF YOY HSF CAPTURED DURING SHORELINE SEINING. FEW ADULT BLCS FROM THE SPRING STOCKING WERE SAMPLED. MOST OF THOSE FISH HAVE LIKELY BEEN HARVESTED IN THE TWO MONTHS TIME BETWEEN STOCKING AND THIS ASSESSMENT. SEVERAL YOY BLCS WERE CAPTURED DURING SEINING. YOUNG CARP ALSO APPEAR TO BE ABUNDANT. CAP WERE SAMPLED WELL ABOVE MEDIAN LEVELS FOR ABUNDANCE, BUT WERE BELOW MEDIAN LEVELS FOR POUNDS PER SET. ONLY ONE FISH WAS CAPTURED THAT EXCEEDED 12.5 INCHES IN LENGTH. BLB WERE SAMPLED AT LOCAL MEDIAN LEVELS FOR NUMBER, BUT BELOW MEDIAN LEVELS FOR POUNDS PER SET. ONE BRB AND ONE YEB WERE ALSO CAPTURED. BOTH WERE ABOVE AVERAGE IN SIZE FOR THEIR RESPECTIVE SPECIES, LOCALLY. BIB WERE SAMPLED FOR THE FIRST TIME DURING FISHERY ASSESSMENTS OF LOWER PENN LAKE COVERING A SPAN OF 17 YEARS.

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

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Penn. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

Penn has a maximum depth of 7 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Penn is from 2010. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

No invasive species are on record for Penn in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.