Gorman

Gorman Lake is a 521-acre lake located approximately 4 miles southeast of Le Center in Le Sueur County. The lake has a maximum depth of 14. Gorman Lake is considered eutrophic with generally poor water clarity and frequent algae blooms caused by elevated nutrient levels. The lake is aerated during the winter in an effort to reduce winter kill. A DNR-owned public access is located on the south shoreline off Dodd Road, and a county-owned public access is located on the west shoreline within the town of Cordova. Gorman Lake is primarily managed for Walleye and secondarily for Black Crappie, Bluegill, and Northern Pike. The management plan calls for stocking Lower Mississippi Strain Walleye fry at a rate of 250/littoral acre (N = 130,250) annually. Northern Pike fry are stocked in odd years at a rate of 175/littoral acre (N = 87,325) and other species are stocked as needed following winterkill events. Gorman Lake is designated as a Tier-2 Lake and will be surveyed as part of a regularly scheduled monitoring program every 6 years. The 2025 survey was completed the week of 23 June 2025 using 9 gill nets, 9 trap nets, and 61 minutes of standard boat electrofishing. Water quality parameters were also measured. Walleye were sampled at a rate of 6.9/ gill net. The previous catch rate in 2022 was 6.6/net and the average catch rate from 1994 to 2025 was 4.6/net. Walleye ranged from 7.4 to 25.0 inches with an average of 15.3 inches. An additional 7 Walleye ranging from 11.6 to 18.1 inches were sampled with trap nets. Walleye from both gears ranged from age-1 to over age-12 with 8 year classes present. Growth was fast with Walleye reaching 15 inches before age-3 and 20 inches around age-5. Black Crappies were the most abundant fish surveyed in 2025. A total of 436 were sampled with gill nets for a catch rate of 48.4/net. The 2022 catch rate was 20.1/net. Black Crappie sampled in 2025 ranged from 4.5 to 13.2 inches with an average of 8.5 inches. Black Crappies from both gears ranged from age-1 to age-8 with 8 year classes present. Most Black Crappies were age-2. Growth was fast with Black Crappies reaching 8 inches by age-3 and 10 inches by age-4. A total of 27 Bluegills were sampled with trap nets for a catch rate of 3.0/net. The previous catch rate in 2019 was 8.1/net. Bluegills ranged from 4.3 to 9.4 inches with an average of 7.3 inches. Eighty-three more Bluegills ranging from 5.9 to 9.5 inches were sampled with gill nets. Ages from both gears ranged from age-2 to age-6 with 5 year classes present. Growth was moderate with fish reaching 7 inches by age-4. Ideal habitat is limited in Gorman Lake and inhibits our ability to produce a quality Bluegill fishery. Northern Pike were sampled at a rate of 4.1/net. The 2022 catch rate was 6.0/net and the average since 1994 was 3.3/net. Northern Pike ranged from 20.2 to 36.4 inches with an average of 24.73 inches. Approximately 49% of Northern Pike exceeding the legal minimum length of 24 inches. Eleven additional Northern Pike ranging from 19.6 to 36.4 inches were sampled with trap nets. Northern Pike numbers are trending up in Gorman Lake and the size should appeal to anglers. Largemouth Bass are less common in Gorman Lake than in many other Waterville Area lakes. Only one Largemouth Bass was sampled with standard boat electrofishing for a catch rate of 1.0/hour. Just two total Largemouth Bass were sampled using all gears, these fish averaged 10.6 inches in length. Preferred habitat for Largemouth Bass is limited in Gorman Lake. A positive change in nearshore vegetation could lead to better habitat for Largemouth Bass and Bluegills. Yellow Perch were the second most sampled game fish species in gill nets in 2025. A total of 109 were sampled for a catch rate of 12.1/net. The catch rate in 2022 was 15.6/net. Yellow Perch sampled in 2025 ranged from 6.3 to 11.6 inches with an average of 9.5 inches. Yellow Perch are an important prey species for managing both Walleye and Northern Pike in Gorman Lake and offer an additional target for anglers. Black Bullhead numbers have been quite erratic in Gorman Lake since 1994 with survey numbers either exceeding 85/gill net or failing to surpass 6/gill net. The catch rate in 2025 was 10.3/gill net and low numbers had been sampled in 2009 and 2014 as well. Black Bullhead numbers often surge following fish kills and wane during periods of stability. Judging by the catch rates alone, Gorman Lake appears to be enjoying an extended period of stability since the early 2000s. Common Carp remained a prominent member of the Gorman Lake fish community in 2025. A total of 19 fish ranging from 17.8 to 33.1 inches were sampled with trap nets for a catch rate of 2.1/net. High Common Carp numbers are correlated with poor nearshore habitat and water quality due to their destructive benthic feeding habits. Other species sampled in 20225 include Bigmouth Buffalo, Bowfin, Freshwater Drum, Pumpkinseed, White Bass, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead. Water clarity was poor with a secchi depth of just 2.3 feet. Dissolved oxygen readings ranged from 8.1 ppm at the surface to 5.8 ppm at 13 feet. No thermocline was detected. Water temperatures were stable at 78.4 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the water column. -Tyler Fellows, fisheries specialist

Gorman Lake is a 521-acre lake located approximately 4 miles southeast of Le Center in Le Sueur County. Gorman Lake has a maximum depth of 14 feet and is considered eutrophic with generally poor water clarity and frequent algae blooms caused by elevated nutrient levels. Gorman Lake is aerated during the winter to prevent hypoxic conditions. A DNR-owned public access is located on the south shoreline off Dodd Road and a county-owned public access is located on the west shoreline within the town of Cordova. Gorman Lake is primarily managed for Walleye and secondarily for Black Crappie, Bluegill, and Northern Pike and is included in a research project investigating Walleye strain performance in the Cannon River chain of lakes beginning in 2018. The management plan calls for stocking a 50:50 ratio of Lower Mississippi and Mississippi Strain Walleye fry annually. Northern Pike fry are stocked in odd years and other species are stocked as needed following winterkill events. Gorman Lake is designated as a Tier-2 Lake and will typically be surveyed as part of a regularly scheduled monitoring program every 6 years. A 2022 targeted survey using gill nets was added to align with the other Cannon River chain lakes included in the Walleye strain research project. A targeted survey is generally used for sampling a specific kind of fish or time of year (i.e., spawning season, fall season, etc.) unlike a standard survey which samples a wider range of fish species during the summer months using standard methods (i.e., standard time of year, set sampling stations, taking water clarity readings and oxygen/temperature profiles, etc.) and gears (i.e., lake survey gillnets, trap nets, and spring electrofishing for Largemouth Bass). Methods for this targeted survey were identical to a standard survey including number of nets, net location, and timing of the survey. Therefore, results from this targeted survey can be compared to historical standard surveys. The targeted survey was completed the week of June 21, 2022 using 9 gill nets. Water quality parameters were also measured. A total of 59 Walleyes were sampled for a catch rate of 6.6/net, which was up from the 2019 catch rate of 4.4/net. Catch rates have varied from 1.3/net to 8.1/net with an average of 4.3/net since 1994. Walleye ranged from 8.0 to 25.8 inches with an average of 18.6 inches. Almost all Walleye were over 15 inches and approximately 27% were over 20 inches. Walleye ranged from 1 to 9 years with 7 year-classes present. The 2019 year-class was the most abundant, accounting for 42% of the sample. Approximately 89% of Walleye sampled were from years when fry were stocked. Walleye growth was fast with an average length of 16.6 inches at year 3. Walleye numbers improved in 2022, perhaps due to the annual stocking of multiple strains since 2018. Black Crappie was the most abundant species in the 2022 survey. A total of 181 Black Crappie were sampled for a catch rate of 20.1/net. The 2022 Black Crappie catch rate was nearly identical to the 2019 catch rate of 20.4/net, which was the highest recorded since 1994. Black Crappie ranged from 4.3 to 12.5 inches with an average of 8.1 inches. Approximately 35% of Black Crappie sampled were over 8 inches and 18% were greater than 10 inches. Northern Pike were sampled at an all-time high catch rate of 6.0/net in 2022. Northern Pike catch rates averaged 3.2/net from 1994 to 2022. Northern Pike ranged from 21.0 to 32.9 inches with an average of 25.2 inches. Approximately 57% of Northern Pike sampled exceeded the legal minimum length limit of 24 inches. Yellow Perch was the second most abundant species in the 2022 survey with a catch rate of 15.6/net. The 2019 catch rate was 14.2/net and the long-term average is 13.5/net. Yellow Perch ranged from 5.7 to 11.2 inches with an average of 8.2 inches. Almost half of the Yellow Perch sampled were over 8 inches and about 8% were over 10 inches. Gorman Lake offers a somewhat rare opportunity to target "keeper" Yellow Perch in the Waterville area. Other species sampled in 2022 include Bigmouth Buffalo (1.9/net), Black Bullhead (2.8/net), Bluegill (0.9/net), Bowfin (7.6/net), Common Carp (3.1/net), Freshwater Drum (7.3/net), Golden Shiner (0.1/net), White Bass (0.4/net), and Yellow Bullhead (1.3/net). Water clarity was poor with a secchi depth of just 2 feet. Water temperature and dissolved oxygen readings ranged from 7.5 ppm and 77.9 degrees Fahrenheit at the surface to 6.5 ppm and 77.9 degrees Fahrenheit at 12 feet. No thermocline was detected. Anglers can play an important role in maintaining or improving a fish population by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest allows for the harvest of smaller fish for consumption, while encouraging the release of medium to large fish that may contribute to natural reproduction. This practice helps maintain balance in the fish populations and provides anglers the opportunity to catch more and larger fish in the future. Additionally, smaller fish often taste better and have fewer contaminants than larger, older fish from the same water body. Shoreline property owners also play an important role in the overall health of an aquatic ecosystem, including the fish population. Natural shorelines, including vegetation, woody debris, and bottom substrates, provide valuable habitat for fish and wildlife, help maintain water quality, and reduce bank erosion. Cattails and bulrushes are particularly beneficial for fish spawning, rearing, and feeding. By leaving natural shorelines unaltered or restoring them to natural conditions, shoreline property owners are doing their part to maintain or improve a healthy ecosystem in the lake and protect the resource for future generations. - Sky Wigen, fisheries specialist

Night electrofishing for age-0 Walleye was completed on 28 September 2021. The weather was clear and calm which made for a good night of electrofishing. It was difficult to run close to shore because of low water due to drought. Visibility was poor to moderate due to an algae bloom. DNR staff were able to collect 56 age-0 Walleye per hour of electrofishing.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Black Crappie, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Bluegill, and Walleye in Gorman. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Gorman has a maximum depth of 14 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Gorman is from 2025.

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