Busties

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Busties Lake was conducted on July 5-7, 2022 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 all ten sampling stations, but four stations were sampled from the boat due to site conditions. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample four stations, a 15-foot seine was used to sample one station, and site conditions prevented the use of seines at five stations. Nearshore sampling captured 10 species of fish including two species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Blackchin Shiner and Blacknose Shiner) and no species that are tolerant of disturbance. A concurrent summer trap net survey was conducted by IBI Program Staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline and in shallow offshore locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Bluegill comprised a majority of the trap net catch by number and Bluegill and Northern Pike comprised a majority of the catch by biomass. The number of Bluegill sampled per net was above the 50% quartile for similar Lake Class 31 lakes and the average length was 6.3 inches, with 29% over 7 inches. The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from a July 2021 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., 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 Busties Lake is healthy as indicated by an FIBI score, well 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 Pine River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Busties Lake was conducted on July 26-27, 2021, 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 or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 10 sampling stations, but three stations were sampled from the boat due to site conditions. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample six stations and site conditions prevented the use of a seine at four stations. Nearshore sampling captured 12 species of fish including three species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, and Iowa Darter) and none that are tolerant of disturbance. The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from a July 2021 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 Smallmouth Bass), 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. Results from this survey indicate that the fish community in Busties Lake is healthy as indicated by an FIBI score that exceeds the exceptional use threshold determined for similar lakes. These results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Big Fork River Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Busties Lake is a 237-acre lake located 7 miles east of Effie, MN in the Big Fork River watershed. The lake has a maximum depth of 44 feet and 71 littoral acres. There is an earthen ramp public access on the north side of the lake. Busties Lake is considered to have moderate fertility and hardness and is moderately developed. The 2014 lake management plan (LMP) listed Black Crappie and Largemouth Bass as primary management species, with Bluegill and Walleye as secondary management species. A standard lake survey was conducted in July 2021 to assess the status of the fish community and to evaluate the effectiveness of Walleye fry stocking. The 2021 gill-net catch for Black Crappie (3.2/net) was a historic high for the lake, but was still within the expected range for lakes with similar habitat. Size structure was poor, as the sample was predominantly a single year class (age 3). Crappie ranged from 4.9 to 12.9 inches with an average length of 6.5 inches. Only one fish exceeded 9 inches. Angling opportunities for crappie may improve as this cohort of fish grows to more acceptable sizes. Five Walleye were captured for a catch rate of 0.8/gill net. This catch was below average for the lake and lakes with similar habitat. The sample consisted of large fish ranging from 21.3 to 27.6 inches. The small sample size provided limited information on age structure and growth, but all fish were estimated to be at least 15 years old. Walleye fry had been stocked in odd-numbered years since 2015, but it appeared none of those stockings had contributed to the fishery. The trap-net catch for Bluegill (10.7/net) was average for the lake and similar lakes. Size structure was poor: sampled fish ranged from 3.3 to 8.5 inches with an average length of 5.8 inches. Age and growth data were not collected. Busties Lake provides fair angling opportunities for modest-sized Bluegill. Spring night electrofishing, the preferred sampling method for bass, was not conducted due to staff and workload constraints. The gill-net catch for Largemouth Bass (1.7/net) was higher than in any previous survey. This was also a fairly high catch for lakes with similar habitat. Sampled bass ranged from 8.5 to 17.7 inches, with an average length of 13.8 inches. Age and growth data were not collected, but the length-frequency distribution suggested multiple year classes were represented. Busties Lake likely provides good angling opportunities for Largemouth Bass. Busties Lake has typically produced moderate to high numbers of Northern Pike with poor size structure. The 2021 gill-net catch (12.5/net) was above the expected range for similar lakes but was typical for Busties. Size structure remained poor; fish ranged from 15.0 to 25.3 inches with an average length of 19.8 inches. Age and growth data were not collected. Busties provides good opportunity to catch numbers of pike under 22 inches. The gill-net catch for Yellow Perch (5.5/net) was low compared to similar lakes and a historic low for Busties. The decline in perch is probably due to the consistently high numbers of Northern Pike. Sampled perch ranged from 4.4 to 8.1 inches, with an average length of 6.1 inches. Other species sampled included Pumpkinseed, Smallmouth Bass and Yellow Bullhead.

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

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

Busties has a maximum depth of 44 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Busties is from 2022.

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