Hall

Walleye have been managed for many years in the Fairmont chain-of-lakes. Past stockings have included Walleye fry, fingerling, yearlings, and adults. Essentially, whatever life stage of Walleye was available they would be stocked into the lakes. However, since 2019 the Fairmont chain-of-lakes has been stocked with Walleye fry from the Lake Sarah egg take operation. Other southwest Minnesota lakes saw good success when Walleye fry were stocked in the spring of 2023. Therefore, daytime electrofishing was conducted in September to determine if Walleye fry stocking was successful on Sisseton Lake, Budd Lake, and Hall Lake. One 15 minute station was done on each lake. Twenty-seven age-0 Walleye were captured on Sisseton (N=16), Hall (N=5), and Budd (N=6) Lakes. Catch rates varied from lake-to-lake; 57.6 per hour on Sisseton Lake, 22.9 per hour on Budd Lake, and 20.0 per hour on Hall Lake. However, the overall catch rate for the chain-of-lakes after 45 minutes of electrofishing was 36.0 per hour. It has been determined from previous Minnesota age-0 Walleye electrofishing that a fall electrofishing catch rate over 30 per hour has a good chance of resulting in a fishable year-class of Walleye for anglers 2 or 3 years later. Additionally, the average length of Walleye was 8.1 inches in Sisseton Lake, 8.2 inches in Budd Lake, and 7.9 inches in Hall Lake. When Walleye reach lengths exceeding 6 inches in their first year of growth, there is a good chance that they will survive the winter and avoid predation. A gill net and trap net survey was conducted on Sisseton Lake in August 2023 and age-0 Walleye were very abundant. In fact 10 out of 14 Walleye caught in gill nets from the newly stocked 2023 year class. All that to state, there is a decent chance that the 2023 Walleye year-class on the Fairmont chain-of-lakes could result in a respectable population for anglers.

Hall Lake is a 513-acre lake with 277 acres of littoral zone. Hall Lake is part of the Fairmont "chain-of-lakes" and is within the city limits of Fairmont in Martin County. The Fairmont chain-of-lakes (from headwaters to mouth) is comprised of Amber Lake, Hall Lake, Budd Lake, Sisseton Lake, and George Lake, which are all natural impoundments of Center Creek in the Blue Earth River Watershed. A dam built on George Lake in 1939 increased water storage and depth of each lake. Dredging in the 1970's to early 1990's also increased the depth of Budd and Hall Lakes. Hall Lake is the largest and deepest of the lakes with a watershed-to-lake ratio of 43-to-1 indicating a large watershed. A large watershed indicates that many of the upland disturbances and land practice effects are observed in the degradation of the lake. Agricultural drainage is a major component of the watershed disturbances for Hall Lake. Additionally, Fairmont operates a storm water runoff system that empties into the lakes and the city also draws drinking water from Budd Lake downstream, so it is imperative to reduce negative influences of water impairments in the watershed to improve the water quality in the lakes. Martin County Soil and Water Conservation District has taken the lead and has implemented some projects that help reduce the effects of water quality impairments on the lake, but more can be done to eliminate most influences through best management practices in the watershed. A recent project on Dutch Creek was completed which included a constructed off-channel wetland and agricultural tile treatment with a bioreactor. This project should help move the needle toward better water quality in the future. Better water quality will lead to better habitat conditions for the fish community. Fish community changes over time tell us a lot about the health of an aquatic environment and whether things are moving in a positive direction. Hall Lake is a class 24 lake and is managed primarily for Walleye and Muskellunge while crappie, Yellow Perch and Bluegill are managed secondarily. Fish population assessments have been conducted every 4 to 8 years since 1984 with an initial assessment conducted in 1953. A recent fish population assessment was conducted during the week of August 29, 2022 to analyze the current management of species in Hall Lake and to determine changes in the fish community over time. Sixteen species, totaling 595 pounds, were caught in gill nets and trap nets in 2022. Channel Catfish, Common Carp, and Yellow Bass were the most abundant species by percent biomass with 30.3%, 22.0% and 20.5% respectively. Freshwater Drum (8.3%) and Walleye (5.9%) were the only other species with a biomass above 5%. These values may be indicative of true abundance, but caution should be used, and comparison of 2022 catch rates to past years gives a better idea of how each species is responding to changes in the lake. WALLEYE Walleye gill net catch rates in Hall Lake have been less than the long-term average of 6.3 since 2001. However, the recent trend seems to indicate a steady increase in the relative abundance of Walleye with 1.0 in 2005, 2.7 in 2011 and 2018, and 3.3 in 2022. Walleye in gill nets ranged in length from 12.8 to 21.7 inches with an average length of 17.0 inches. Walleye sampled in trap nets were larger ranging in length from 18.7 to 26.6 inches with an average length of 23.8 inches. While the size structure of Walleye in the gill net and trap net sample was excellent, the body condition was somewhat low. Young Walleye appeared to be in normal to just below normal body condition, but there was a decline in condition with increasing length. This may indicate that older Walleye are experiencing foraging stress. Regardless, Walleye relative abundance appears to be increasing in Hall Lake. This could be due to several factors including a change in stocking strategy and a potential increase in forage availability. Historically, fingerling, yearling, or adult Walleye were stocked in the Fairmont Chain of Lakes. Recently, the strategy has changed to annual fry stocking with 138,500 each year (500 per littoral acre). Walleye fry from Lake Sarah Egg Take operations have been stocked every year since 2019. During 2020, Walleye fry were not stocked due to COVID related shut down of egg take operations statewide. Walleye fry stocking appears effective in Hall Lake as 8 of 9 Walleye aged were from years when fry were stocked. There is no 100% guarantee that all of those Walleye were a result of fry stocking as there could have been some natural reproduction or survival from fingerling Walleye that were stocked in the Fairmont Chain of Lakes in 2019 as well. However, presence of young-of-the-year (YOY) Walleye again in 2022 suggests that fry stocking may be a major factor for the increase in relative abundance of Walleye in Hall Lake. Likewise, an increasingly diverse fish community (16 species in 2022) is helping to create an ample forage base for the Walleye. In 2018, 3 species of shiner (blackchin shiner, spotfin shiner, and spottail shiner) were sampled in nearshore seining and backpack electrofishing with over 1,000 spotfin shiner collected indicating a robust population. Those shiner populations, in conjunction with many YOY Yellow Bass, YOY Yellow Perch, YOY Common Carp, YOY Quillback Carpsucker and YOY White Sucker are helping to keep relative abundance high. Unfortunately, there does appear to be a lack of feeding success among Walleye as they attain larger sizes, this observation will continue to be monitored with future annual sampling on the Fairmont Chain of Lakes to determine if the problem was temporary or persistent. Even so, angling should be good over the next several years with many 3 year old fish that are 15 to 18 inches, and evidence of recent successful fry stockings. MUSKELLUNGE Muskellunge have been managed in Hall Lake, and the entire Fairmont Chain of Lakes, since 2016. Muskie fingerling have been stocked in even years with 314 fingerling in each year, except 2020 due to COVID related shutdown of spring egg take operations. To make up for the missed stocking in 2020, the Fairmont Chain of Lakes was stocked in 2021. One 37 inch Muskie was sampled in a trap net on Hall Lake during the summer of 2022. Additionally, anglers are reporting catching several larger (near or above 40 inches) muskies over the past several years. A large frame trap net survey will be conducted on the Fairmont Chain of Lakes in 2024 with recapture surveys in 2025 and 2026 (if necessary). Continued Muskie management will help to add a consistent top predator to Amber Lake and the Fairmont Chain of Lakes that is sorely missing within the Chain of Lakes. YELLOW PERCH Yellow Perch relative abundance is cyclic in nature in most Minnesota Lakes and Hall Lake is no different. Relative abundance has fluctuated from a high of 62.7 per gill net in 1984 to a low of 3.3 per gill net in 2005. Typically, Yellow Perch are a main food source for Walleye, Northern Pike, and Muskellunge and will help to boost the predator abundance in a lake. When they are cyclic in nature, the predators tend to be as well. In 2022 the gill net catch rate was 10.7 per net which was within the expected range (2.0 to 27.9 per net) but less than the long-term average of 24.6 per net. Yellow Perch relative abundance is on a downward trend after catch rates of 13.7 per net in 2018 and 45.0 per net in 2011. While relative abundance is exhibiting a downward trend, size structure is on the rise. Yellow Perch in the gill net sample ranged in length from 6.5 to 10.5 inches with an average length of 8.4 inches. No Yellow Perch were caught in trap nets. Body condition of Yellow Perch was slightly below average, especially for the youngest and oldest in the sample. Interestingly, Yellow Perch near the sampling average of 8.4 inches were in excellent health. This is a great sign for the future of the Yellow Perch population as those fish are of reproductive age and in excellent condition. If habitat conditions are adequate future reproduction of Yellow Perch could potentially boost the population and increase relative abundance. However, Yellow Bass are now present in Hall Lake and may directly compete with Yellow Perch. Future monitoring will determine the trajectory of the Yellow Perch population and track the potential interaction with Yellow Bass. In the meantime, harvestable Yellow Perch may become more abundant and a few could end up in a mixed bag for anglers on the Fairmont Chain of Lakes. BLUEGILL Bluegill are a low density resident of Hall Lake. In 2022, the trap net catch rate was 2.3 per net. All of the other lakes in the Fairmont Chain of Lakes have greater densities of Bluegill. Amber Lake had 13.9 per trap net in 2022, George Lake had 24.0 per trap net in 2021, Budd Lake had 8.3 per trap net in 2020, and Sisseton had 9.7 per trap net in 2018. Hall Lake does not have the same habitat as the other 4 lakes and is a lake that more typically supports Walleye and Yellow Perch. However, the size of the Bluegill in the nets was good with individuals ranging from 6.4 to 9.1 inches in the trap nets and 5.0 to 8.9 in the gill nets. Body condition was also good. Overall, some larger Bluegill will be available for anglers but targeting them will be difficult on Hall Lake. George Lake and Amber Lake have the best habitat for targeting Bluegill on the Fairmont Chain of Lakes. CRAPPIE Two species of crappie are found in Hall Lake, Black Crappie and White Crappie. Currently, crappie relative abundance is low with less than 1 per trap net for each species in 2022. Lengths of crappie caught in gill nets and trap nets ranged from 6.3 inches to 11.1 inches with an average of 9.2 inches for Black Crappie and 9.1 inches for White Crappie caught in trap nets. While relative abundance is low, average length of both species of crappies above 9 inches is excellent. Body condition was excellent with many plump fish. As with Bluegill, habitat for crappie is limited in Hall Lake and the other 4 lakes in the chain have greater relative abundance. Therefore, targeting crappie in Hall Lake could be difficult and the other 4 lakes hold more promise for successful crappie angling, particularly George Lake. Some large crappie over 10 inches may be available to anglers and fishing during late April and May could be excellent for crappie in the Fairmont Chain of Lakes. YELLOW BASS Yellow Bass were first reported by an ice-angler February 2013. It is suspected that Yellow Bass were illegally introduced. Since 2013, Yellow Bass have reproduced naturally in the Fairmont Chain of Lakes and their population has expanded. During the 2018 fish assessment, Yellow Bass were caught in gill nets for the first time at a rate of 28.3 per net. Over the course of 4 years relative abundance of Yellow Bass has increased 5 fold to 148 fish per gill net. Yellow Bass ranged in length from 5.6 inches to 11.3 inches with an average length of 8.3 inches. Forty-two Yellow Bass were aged to determine what year-classes were most abundant. Yellow Bass were from 5 different age groups (ages 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6). The age-2 (2020) year class was the most abundant with 68% of the sample followed by age 3 (16%) and age 5 (15%). Yellow Bass were growing fast and reaching 7 to 8 inches by age-2. By comparison, Yellow Perch typically reach 7 to 8 inches by age 3 or 4 (Iowa DNR data). Yellow Bass may be a threat to Yellow Perch and compete for food and habitat. Future monitoring will be needed to address any competition exclusion as a result of the illegally introduced Yellow Bass. In the meantime, angling popularity for this species is at an all-time high with many anglers spending time fishing the Fairmont Chain of Lakes and harvesting Yellow Bass. They are a very palatable species and angling can be very good at times, especially during winter months and early spring. OTHER SPECIES Other species sampled in Hall Lake include Black Bullhead (number=2), Channel Catfish (n=48), Common Carp (n=15), Freshwater Drum (n=51), Largemouth Bass (n=1), Northern Pike (n=2), Quillback Carpsucker (n=3), White Sucker (n=6), and Yellow Bullhead (n=1). Of the species listed above Channel Catfish, Common Carp, and Freshwater Drum are major components of the fish community making up 30.3%, 22.0%, and 8.3% of the biomass in the gill net and trap nets, respectively. The only other species that made up a significant proportion of the biomass was Yellow Bass at 20.5%. At times, Channel Catfish can be a top predator and cause shifts in the fish community. One of the species that become rare when Channel Catfish are abundant is bullheads. During the 2022 survey, only 3 bullheads were sampled. Additionally, Channel Catfish may play a major role in the abundance of Yellow Bass. Channel Catfish may help, in part, to predate on Yellow Bass and potentially keep their abundance down as well as improve the size structure of Yellow Bass by consuming smaller individuals within the population. Freshwater Drum and Common Carp abundance may be impacted by the establishing Muskie population. As Muskies mature they may help to reduce the amount of recruitment by young individuals of the Freshwater Drum and Common Carp populations. Continued monitoring will help to determine the impact of the predator community on the Yellow Bass, Freshwater Drum, and Common Carp populations.

Hall Lake is a 513-acre lake with 277 acres less than 15 feet deep. The lake has been dredged in the past to increase depth and now has a maximum depth of 27 feet. Hall Lake is part of the Fairmont "chain-of-lakes" within the city limits of Fairmont. The Fairmont chain-of-lakes (from headwaters to mouth) is comprised of Amber Lake, Hall Lake, Budd Lake, Sisseton Lake, and George Lake which are all natural impoundments of Center Creek in the Blue Earth River Watershed. Hall Lake is the largest and deepest of the lakes with a large watershed. A large watershed can have many upland disturbances especially in an agriculturally dominated watershed with a city surrounding the lake. Therefore, it is imperative to reduce negative influences of water impairments in the watershed to improve the water quality in the lakes. The Martin County Soil and Water Conservation District has taken the lead on this and has implemented projects that help reduce the effects of water quality impairments on the lake, but more can be done to eliminate most influences through best management practices in the watershed. Fish community changes over time tell us a lot about the health of an aquatic environment and its water quality. Hall Lake is managed primarily for Walleye and Muskellunge while crappie and Yellow Perch are managed secondarily. Fish population assessments have been conducted every 4 to 8 years since 1984 with an initial assessment conducted in 1953. A recent fish population assessment was conducted during the week of August 21, 2018 to monitor the fish community. WALLEYE In 2018, the Walleye catch rates were 2.7 fish per gill net and 1.7 fish per trap net. The gill net catch rate was within the expected range (1.2 to 6.3 fish per net) while the trap net catch rate was above the expected range (0.3 to 1.2). The expected range is determined from catches on similar lakes. Additionally, the gill net catch rate was below the long-term average of 6.6 and below the management goal of maintaining a gill net catch rate of 5 or more fish per net. While the 2018 catch rate did not meet the management goal, the Walleye population has been stable since 2001 and the gill net catch rate has remained identical since 2011. Many fingerling, yearling, and adult Walleye have been stocked since 2010 with just over 20,000. While the catch rate was less than desired, the size structure of the Walleye population was excellent. The average length of fish in the gill nets was just over 17 inches and just shy of 19 inches in the trap nets with the smallest fish being 14 inches and the largest measuring 29 inches. Growth was fast with Walleye reaching 15 inches by age 3. While growth was good, the Walleye were relatively skinny. Usually, when Walleye are skinny in August it indicates a population that is experiencing some stress. The stress is unknown, but could be due to inadequate forage for large Walleye. Competition with other species for limited amounts of forage can also be a major factor in whether Walleye populations thrive or suffer. There are many species to compete with in Hall Lake, most notably Black Crappie and Channel Catfish. Muskellunge fingerlings have been stocked in 2016 and 2018 adding a top predator that should help alleviate some competition and help to improve the overall Walleye population health as a result. Top predators usually help to keep a system in balance by providing a biological control for species that can become overabundant. Walleye abundances in the Fairmont chain-of-lakes should continue to either remain similar or increase with continued stocking. While numbers remain relatively lower than average, the size of Walleye should make any angler happy! YELLOW PERCH Yellow Perch are managed in Hall Lake to maintain gill net catch rates within the expected range for similar lakes (2.0 to 27.9 per gill net). The 2018 gill net catch rate of 13.7 per net was within the expected range and met the management plan. However, the gill net catch rate was below the long-term catch rate of 26.1 fish per net for Hall Lake. While the catch rate met the management goal, the size structure of the Yellow Perch indicated a population that is relatively small. The average length of Yellow Perch caught in the gill nets and trap nets was just over 6.5 inches and just over 7.5 inches, respectively, with a range in length from 5.5 to 10 inches. The overall health of Yellow Perch in the sample was fair to average. The cause of the fair to average condition could be explained by the high abundance of Yellow Bass now present in the Fairmont chain-of-lakes. A diet determination was made for Yellow Perch, Yellow Bass, and Black Crappie during August 2018 from fish in the trap net and gill net samples. It was determined, from looking at what fish ate, that Yellow Perch and Yellow Bass have a highly similar diet. With a similar diet, they will directly compete with one another for food. Overall, the Yellow Perch population is exceeding management goals, but the health of the Yellow Perch is of mild concern. The Yellow Perch will be monitored closely on Hall Lake to determine if Yellow Bass could outcompete and potentially displace them. BLUEGILL The 2018 trap net catch rate was 5.8 fish per net which is below the expected range, but similar to the long-term average catch rate of 6.1 fish per net. The average size of Bluegill in the trap net sample was just over 7.5 inches with a range of from 6 to 9 inches. The overall health of Bluegill was excellent for an August sample. Overall, it appears the size structure and condition of Bluegill in Hall Lake is good. The Fairmont Lakes Foundation bought and stocked adult Bluegill in the fall of 2018 which should help to increase or at least stabilize the population. Currently at a typical long-term abundance the Bluegill are doing well. Some big Bluegill are present in the chain-of-lakes and anglers could have a fun time targeting these fish. CRAPPIE Two species of crappie are found in Hall Lake, Black Crappie and White Crappie. They make up a significant portion of the fish community and are self-sustaining. The Black Crappie catch rates were 15 fish per gill net and 5 fish per trap net, both within expected ranges for gill nets and trap nets. The White Crappie catch rates were 1.7 per gill net and 0.89 per trap net and also within the expected ranges for gill nets and trap nets. The lengths of crappie in the sample showed good numbers of small and harvestable fish over 10 inches. The average length of Black Crappie was 9.1 inches in the gill nets and 9.6 inches in the trap nets with a range of just over 6.5 inches to just under 12 inches. The average length of White Crappie in the sample was almost 10 inches in the gill nets and 9.5 inches in the trap nets with a range of 8.5 to 11.5 inches. The overall health for Black and White Crappie was excellent indicating a population that is foraging successfully. The diet analysis indicated that Black Crappie utilized zooplankton and emerging insects at different rates than Yellow Bass and Yellow Perch. This indicates that Black Crappie are utilizing a different prey base than the other two species and are not experiencing competition to the same degree. The crappie populations in Hall Lake appear to be doing well, they are in adequate abundance, have a balanced size structure with some larger individuals, and are foraging successfully. Crappie fishing has been reported as excellent on the Fairmont chain-of-lakes, even continuing through the ice-fishing season of 2018-2019. YELLOW BASS Yellow Bass are a recent illegal introduction in the Fairmont chain-of-lakes. The Windom area fisheries staff did not stock them. They were first reported in the winter of 2012 from an ice angler. Since then, they have become increasingly common through natural reproduction. It is unknown how many were originally stocked into the Fairmont chain-of-lakes, but they are now found in Hall, Budd, Sisseton, and George Lakes. None were sampled in Amber Lake in the 2018 survey. However, in Hall Lake the 2018 gill net catch rate was 28.3 per net and the trap net catch rate was 0.3 per net. The average length of Yellow Bass caught in gill nets was 8 inches and was 7 inches in trap nets with fish ranging in length from 6 to 10 inches. Additionally, there are multiple ages of fish all after 2012, indicating that the population is now a result of natural reproduction. The diet analysis determined that Yellow Bass and Yellow Perch have a highly similar diet while Black Crappie are different. With a similar diet, Yellow Bass will directly compete with Yellow Perch for food. More samples will be taken to further analyze the potential impact of Yellow Bass in the Fairmont chain-of-lakes. However, at this point, there is some indication that Yellow Perch may be the most vulnerable species with the presence of Yellow Bass. Regardless, there should be an excellent angling opportunity for Yellow Bass in the Fairmont chain-of-lakes as they are fun to catch and excellent to eat. There is currently no limit on Yellow Bass in the Fairmont chain-of-lakes. OTHER SPECIES The Fairmont Chain of Lakes are some of the most diverse lakes for numbers of fish species in the Windom Fisheries Management Area. Fourteen species of fish were caught in gill nets and trap nets 2018 including the 6 listed above. The other species found in the sample were Bigmouth Buffalo, Black Bullhead, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Freshwater Drum, Northern Pike, Quillback Carpsucker, and White Sucker. Additionally, 9 more species were sampled with seines and electrofishing near shore. Those species were Blackchin Shiner, Bluntnose Minnow, Fathead Minnow, Green Sunfish, Johnny Darter, Largemouth Bass, Orangespotted Sunfish, Spotfin Shiner, and Spottail Shiner. So, the total number of species observed was 23, high for a southern Minnesota Lake!

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Channel Catfish, White Crappie, Yellow Perch, Walleye, and Muskellunge in Hall. 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 Hall. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

Hall has a maximum depth of 27 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

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