Fox

Fox Lake is a 1,041-acre, class 24 lake located in Martin County near the Town of Sherburn. Fox Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet and has never been aerated. Fox Lake has a small watershed-to-lake ratio of 4 to 1. Watershed improvements and the closing of a diversion structure have facilitated the return of submerged aquatic vegetation in some years; however, in recent years water quality has been poor, as indicated by a Secchi depth of 0.8 ft. in 2025. Occasionally, Curly-leaf Pondweed becomes abundant in the southeast area of Fox Lake when conditions are favorable. Curly-leaf Pondweed was first documented during a survey in 2006. Fox Lake provides a unique fishery because it is managed primarily for Muskie and Walleye and secondarily for crappie, Yellow Perch, Bluegill, and Largemouth Bass, making it one of two systems in the Windom fisheries management area that are stocked with Muskie. A standard survey was conducted on Fox Lake (starting September 2, 2025) to monitor fish populations using 5 gill nets and 11 trap nets. Surveys have been conducted annually since 1991 resulting in an excellent dataset to observe changes. Five Walleye were caught in the trap net sample, and no Walleye were caught in the gill nets. From 2015 to 2017 the Fox Lake Walleye catch rate was on a 3-year increasing trend (5.7 in 2015, 9.8 in 2016, and 14.5 in 2017). However, the past 7 years the gill net catch rate has been less than 1.7 per gill net, and 0.0 per gill net in the previous 5 surveys since 2021. Interestingly, the trap net catch rates (# per net) during the past 8 years have been within the expected range (0.3 to 1.2 per trap net). In 2025 the trap net catch rate was 0.5 per net. Walleye ranged in length from 9.3 to 25.9 inches. It is surprising to continue to see the Walleye population struggle in Fox Lake as Walleye adults (1,422 individuals, 1,394 total pounds) were stocked in September and October of 2021 and fingerlings were stocked in 2022 (7,134 individuals, 718 total pounds), 2023 (15,640 individuals, 353 total pounds), 2024 390,000 fry and 76,235 frylings, and 2025 78,659 frylings. With that many Walleye stocked, we would expect more to be sampled, indicating survival of stocked Walleye may be very low. The Walleye population will continue to be monitored annually to assess the effectiveness of Walleye stocking in Fox Lake and determine the correct stocking strategy moving forward. Walleye fryling (fry raised until larger size and stocked in June) have been stocked in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Fryling survived well when they were stocked from 2011 to 2015. Fryling stocking was discontinued because hatchery production was halted from 2016 to 2022. Fryling could help to increase survival of Walleye in Fox Lake. Muskie were first introduced into Fox Lake in 1999 and subsequently stocked in 2001 and have been stocked every other year from 2004 to 2018. The last two stockings were in October 2022 (N=476) and November 2024 (N=496). No Muskie were captured in gill nets or trap nets in the 2025 survey. Gill nets and trap nets are usually ineffective at sampling Muskie during our annual survey in September. Therefore, large frame trap nets are set every 5 years to sample the Muskie population. A survey utilizing the large frame trap nets was done in May 2022. No Muskies were sampled. Five years prior during the 2017 assessment Muskie were captured at a rate of 3.9 per net per day. During 2017, Muskie ranged in length from 10.8 to 50.1 inches and averaged 42.2 inches. The population estimate in 2016 (the last reliable estimate using 2017 as a recapture event) was 250 adults (193 to 307; 95 Percent Confidence Interval). Given the water quality issues, a special targeted LTN assessment was also conducted during the spring of 2021. Five Muskie were caught in 3 days of netting with 2 nets each day (6 net nights). Muskies sampled ranged in length from 39.1 to 48.9 inches with an average length of 42.2 inches. Three males and 2 females were sampled. Therefore, it is strange that 0 Muskie were sampled in LTNs during 2022. We suspect that the adult Muskie population has shifted to a much less abundant population, but Muskies are likely still present. It is very likely that the originally stocked fish in 1999 and the next year class in 2001 are gone from the lake due to natural mortality (old age). Since 2011 when PIT tagging started on Fox Lake, 325 unique adult Muskie have been sampled and PIT-tagged, and 3,446 fingerling Muskie have been PIT-tagged and stocked. In the fall of 2024, 496 PIT tagged fingerling Muskie were stocked in Fox Lake. Electrofishing for Muskie may occur in the next year or two to determine presence and size of individuals in the population. Black Crappie were captured at a rate of 22.1 per trap net in 2025, which is greater than the expected range (1.8 to 21.2 per trap net) and greater than the long-term average of 17.0 per trap net since 1981. Lengths of Black Crappie ranged from 2.9 to 8.5 inches in gill nets and trap nets and averaged 7.0 inches. Black Crappie appears to be in good health with an average Wr of 103. The White Crappie catch rate in 2025 was 61.9 per trap net, which exceeded the expected range of catch rates for class 24 lakes (0.5 to 6.6) and is the second highest catch rate since 1981. Lengths of White Crappie ranged from 5.0 to 11.8 inches and averaged 6.9 inches. Mean relative weight of White Crappie was also high, averaging 107 across all lengths. The Yellow Perch catch rate in 2025 was 0.2 per gill net indicating a low abundance of Yellow Perch. Catch rates of Yellow Perch have been characterized by extreme fluctuations from 2011 to 2016 followed by a drastic drop and continued level of low abundance (less than 1 per gill net). This variability in gill net catches is most likely due to environmental conditions and/or niche overlap and competition with increasing Black and White crappie populations. Habitat loss due to lack of submerged vegetation is also a potential cause. Yellow Perch were stocked during the spring of 2022 and again in 2024, but a resulting natural year class has not been observed yet. While Yellow Perch abundance was low, stocking will be continued if the gill net catch rate remains below 2.0 per net in 2026. The Freshwater Drum catch rate was 40.0 per gill net, less than the long-term average (49.6 per gill net) and above the expected range of 4.0 to 32.3 per gill net for similar lakes. There is some desire among the Fox Lake Association members and Fox Lake Conservation League to remove Freshwater Drum to reduce their relative abundance, however, past studies have shown that this may induce a reproduction response and can increase abundance of Freshwater Drum. Currently, the Freshwater Drum in the gill net and trap net sample range in length from 4.3 to 14.3 inches with an average length of 9.9 inches. Apart from a few of the largest Freshwater Drum in the sample, all these fish are potentially subject to predation by the existing Muskie population. While the current Muskie population is very low abundance and may not suppress the Freshwater Drum enough, a potential consideration is to stock yearling or adult Muskie instead of fingerlings, which will serve 2 purposes. First, larger Muskie will act as a predator right away and larger Muskie have a greater chance of survival to larger sizes. The Bluegill catch rate in 2025 was 2.2 per trap net, which is below the expected range of catch rates (7.5 to 62.5 per trap net) for class 24 lakes. Lengths of Bluegill ranged from 5.4 to 6.2 inches and averaged 5.8 inches. The turbid water in Fox Lake is likely limiting the potential for a robust Bluegill population given that that typically thrive in lakes with clear water and abundant vegetation. Additional species sampled included Bigmouth Buffalo, Black Bullhead, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Golden Shiner, Largemouth Bass, Quillback Carpsucker, and Yellow Bullhead. Bigmouth Buffalo, while native, can overpopulate and act as a source of competition for limited plankton resources due to their filter feeding which can shift the plankton community to one dominated by phytoplankton. They also could suspend sediments while looking for invertebrate food sources that can lead to internal nutrient loading and create poor water quality. The large 2013-2015 year classes of Bigmouth Buffalo appear to be a possible driver of poor water quality on Fox over the last few years. While those year classes of fish continue to grow and move through the fish community, their growth appears to be slower than other populations in the Windom area. Continued monitoring will be done to track changes in numbers and species caught in Fox Lake.

Fox Lake is a 1,041-acre, class 24 lake located in Martin County near the Town of Sherburn. Fox Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet and has never been aerated. Fox Lake provides a unique fishery because it is managed primarily for Muskie and Walleye and secondarily for crappie, making it one of two systems, or chain-of-lakes, in the Windom fisheries management area that provide Muskie angling opportunities. A survey was conducted on Fox Lake (starting September 9, 2024) to monitor fish populations using gill nets and trap nets. SPECIES COMPOSITION Twelve species of fish were captured in 2024 sampling. Bigmouth Buffalo, Freshwater Drum, and White Crappie were the 3 most abundant species by percent biomass with 49.0%, 19.9% and 15.3% respectively. Common Carp (6.1%) and Black Crappie (3.7%) were the only other species with a biomass above 2%. These values may be indicative of true abundance, but caution should be used, and comparison of 2024 catch rates to historical catch rates maybe be more informative and indicative of population level changes for each species. WALLEYE Eight Walleye were caught in the trap net sample and no Walleye were caught in the gill nets. From 2015 to 2017 the Fox Lake Walleye catch rate was on a 3-year increasing trend (5.7 in 2015, 9.8 in 2016, and 14.5 in 2017). However, the past 7 years the gill net catch has been discouragingly low. Interestingly, the trap net catch rates (# per net) during the past 7 years have been within the expected catch range for similar lakes (0.3 to 1.2 per trap net). In 2024 the trap net catch rate was 0.7 per net. It appears during the week of sampling in 2024 Walleye remained near shore away from the gill nets which are set out in deeper water. This is typical of lakes experiencing heavy algae blooms where dissolved oxygen can decrease in the deep-water habitat that is typically utilized during summer. Walleye ranged in length from 8.9 to 24.6 inches with all but 1 over 11 inches. Health, or plumpness, of Walleye in the sample was the best it has been in 7-years. It is surprising to continue to see the Walleye population struggle in Fox Lake as Walleye adults (1,422 individuals, 1,394 total pounds) were stocked in September and October of 2021 and fingerlings were stocked in 2022 (7,134 individuals, 718 total pounds) and 2023 (15,640 individuals, 353 total pounds). With that many Walleye stocked, we would expect there to be more sampled, indicating survival of stocked Walleye may be very low. The Walleye population will continue to be monitored annually to assess the effectiveness of Walleye stocking in Fox Lake and determine the correct stocking strategy moving forward. Walleye fryling (fry raised until larger size and stocked in June) have been stocked in 2023 and 2024. Fryling survived well when they were stocked from 2011 to 2015. Fryling stocking was discontinued because hatchery production was halted from 2016 to 2022. Fryling could help to increase survival of Walleye in Fox Lake. MUSKIE Muskie were first introduced into Fox Lake in 1999 and have been regularly stocked, typically every other year. The last two stockings were in October 2022 (N=476) and November 2024 (N=496). No Muskie were captured in gill nets or trap nets in the 2024 survey. Gill nets and trap nets are usually ineffective at sampling Muskie during our annual survey in September. Therefore, large frame trap nets are set every 5 years to sample the Muskie population. A survey utilizing the large frame trap nets was done in May 2022. No Muskies were sampled. Five years prior during the 2017 assessment Muskie were captured at a rate of 3.9 per net per day. During 2017, Muskie ranged in length from 10.8 to 50.1 inches and averaged 42.2 inches. The population estimate in 2016 (the last reliable estimate using 2017 as a recapture event) was 250 adults (193 to 307; 95 Percent Confidence Interval). Given the water quality issues, a special targeted large frame trap netting assessment was also conducted during the spring of 2021. Five Muskie were caught in 3 days of netting with 2 nets each day (6 net nights). Muskies sampled ranged in length from 39.1 to 48.9 inches with an average length of 42.2 inches. Three males and 2 females were sampled. Therefore, it is strange that 0 Muskie were sampled in 2022. We suspect that the adult Muskie population has shifted to a much less abundant population, but Muskies are likely still present. It is very likely that the originally stocked fish in 1999 and the 2001 stocking are now gone from the lake due to natural mortality (old age). Since 2011, when PIT tagging was started on Fox Lake, 325 unique adult Muskie have been sampled and PIT-tagged, and 3,446 fingerling Muskie have been PIT-tagged and stocked. Electrofishing for Muskie may occur in the next year or two to determine presence and size of individuals in the population. CRAPPIE Black Crappie were captured at a rate of 10.8 per trap net, which is within the expected catch range for similar lakes (1.8 to 21.2 per trap net). The catch rate is less than the long-term average of 16.8 per trap net since 1981. This is the first time the trap net catch rate has been less than the long-term average since 2014. Lengths of Black Crappie ranged from 4.8 to 8.4 inches in gill nets and trap nets and averaged 6 inches in trap nets. Black Crappie in the sample were in good health. The Black Crappie population is self-sustaining and stable with at least 2 or 3 strong year classes present based on length frequency in trap nets. The White Crappie catch rate in 2024 was 44.9 per trap net, which exceeded the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (0.5 to 6.6) and is the 4th greatest catch rate since 1981. Additionally, the gill net catch rate was 40.5 per net, well above the long-term average of 20.9 per gill net. Several years of above average catch rates are good news and potentially a signal that good crappie fishing may be just around the corner. During the mid-to-late 2000's, the Crappie population was dominated by many fish over 10 inches. This was largely due to hybridization that occurs when White and Black Crappie numbers are high. Currently, White Crappie lengths ranged from 5.6 to 12.2 inches and averaged 6.9 inches in the trap net sample. As with 2023, White Crappie abundance exceeds Black Crappie abundance in 2024. When this occurs, there is an increased probability of hybridization during spawning. Hybridization could lead to increased growth and maximum size attained by a future hybrid crappie population. Continued monitoring will evaluate growth and hybridization. OTHER SPECIES The Yellow Perch catch rate in 2024 was 0.3 per gill net indicating a low abundance of Yellow Perch. Catch rates of Yellow Perch have been characterized by extreme fluctuations from 2011 to 2016 followed by a drastic drop and continued level of low abundance (less than 1 per gill net). This variability in gill net catches is most likely due to environmental conditions and/or niche overlap and competition with increasing Black and White crappie populations. Habitat loss due to lack of submerged vegetation is also a potential cause. Yellow Perch were stocked during the spring of 2022 and again in 2024, but reproduction of these stocked fish has not been observed yet. While Yellow Perch abundance was low, stocking will be continued if the gill net catch rate remains below 2.0 per net in 2025. The Freshwater Drum catch rate was 60.3 per gill net, more than the long-term average (49.8 per gill net) and above the interquartile range of 4.0 to 32.3 per gill net for class 24 lakes. There is desire among the Fox Lake Association members and Fox Lake Conservation League to remove Freshwater Drum to reduce their relative abundance. Several strategies have been suggested and even tried in previous years with the angling public to harvest the fish that are caught. Currently, the Freshwater Drum in the gill net and trap net sample range in length from 4.2 to 14.4 inches with an average length of 9.6 inches in the gill nets. Apart from a few of the largest Freshwater Drum in the sample, all these fish are potentially subject to predation by the existing Muskie population. While the current Muskie population is very low abundance and may not suppress the Freshwater Drum enough, a potential consideration is to stock yearling or adult Muskie in the future instead of fingerlings, which will serve 2 purposes. First, larger Muskie will act as a predator right away, and second larger Muskie have a greater chance of survival to larger sizes. Additional species sampled included Bigmouth Buffalo (Total Number = N = 237), Bluegill (N=63), Channel Catfish (N=4), Common Carp (N=7), Golden Shiner (N=1), Quillback Carpsucker (N=4), and Yellow Bullhead (N=5). Bigmouth Buffalo, while native, can overpopulate and act as a source of competition for limited plankton resources due to their filter feeding which can shift the plankton community to one dominated by phytoplankton. They also could suspend sediments while looking for invertebrate food sources that can lead to internal nutrient loading and create poor water quality. The large 2013-2015 year-classes of Bigmouth Buffalo appear to be a possible driver of poor water quality on Fox over the last few years. While those year-classes of fish continue to grow and move through the fish community, their growth appears to be slower than other populations in the Windom area. Continued monitoring will be done to track changes in numbers and species caught in Fox Lake.

Fox Lake is a 1,041-acre, class 24 lake located in Martin County near the Town of Sherburn. Fox Lake has a maximum depth of 20 feet and has never been aerated. Fox Lake's watershed is small with a watershed-to-lake ratio of 4 to 1. Watershed improvements and the closing of a diversion structure have facilitated the return of aquatic vegetation in some years, which provides habitat for several species of fish. Curly-leaf pondweed, a non-native species of aquatic vegetation, can become abundant in the southeast area of Fox Lake when conditions are favorable. Curly-leaf Pondweed was first documented during a survey in 2006. Fox Lake provides a unique fishery, in that it is managed primarily for Muskie and Walleye and secondarily for crappie, making it one of two systems in the Windom fisheries management area that provide Muskie angling opportunities. A survey was conducted on Fox Lake (starting September 5, 2023) to monitor fish populations using six gill nets and 11 trap nets. Surveys have been done annually since 1991 resulting in an excellent dataset to observe track changes in fish abundances. While watershed improvements have been done, since the winter of 2019, Fox Lake has had poor water clarity and high levels of Chlorophyll a (Over 90 parts per billion). The cause is not known, but high Chlorophyll A levels are indicative of an increase in nutrients leading to a persistent algae bloom, even under ice. Alkalinity was 200 parts per million during the survey and ranged from 157 to 163 from June to September 2023. For Southwest Minnesota Lakes, average alkalinity is 174 ppm with many under 182 ppm for a high value. Therefore, a value of 200 ppm is very high. Currently, Fox Lake is experiencing nutrient overloading and lots of environmental stress. A look at the fish community can help reveal the level of stress and potentially help pinpoint potential causes and solutions. WALLEYE Four Walleye were caught in trap nets and no Walleye were caught in the gill nets. From 2015 to 2017 the Fox Lake Walleye catch rate was on a 3 year increasing trend (5.7 in 2015, 9.8 in 2016, and 14.5 in 2017). However, the past 6 years the gill net catch has been discouragingly low. Interestingly, the trap net catch rates (# per net) during the past 6 years has been within the normal range (0.27 to 1.24 per trap net). In 2023 the trap net catch rate was 0.4 per net. It appears during the week of sampling in 2023 Walleye may have remained near shore away from the gill nets. This is typical of lakes experiencing heavy algae blooms where dissolved oxygen can decrease in the deep water habitat that is typically utilized during summer. Walleye ranged in length from 9.5 to 24.8 inches. It is surprising to continue to see the Walleye abundance numbers low in Fox Lake as stocking has ramped up. Walleye adults (1,422 individuals, 1,394 total pounds) were stocked in September and October of 2021 and fingerlings (7,134 individuals, 718 total pounds) were stocked in 2022. With that many Walleye stocked, there should have been more than were sampled, indicating survival of stocked Walleye may be very low. The Walleye population will continue to be monitored annually to assess the effectiveness of Walleye stocking in Fox Lake and determine the correct stocking strategy moving forward. Depending on the success of production, Walleye fryling (fry raised until larger size and stocked in June) may be utilized again on Fox Lake. Frylings were discontinued in production and have not been stocked since 2015. However, they survived well and production may resume with Lower Mississippi Strain (Lake Sarah egg take) Walleye fryling to help boost some southern Minnesota populations that benefit from fryling stocking. MUSKIE Muskie were first introduced into Fox Lake in 1999 and subsequently stocked in 2001 and have been stocked every other year from 2004 to 2018. The last two stockings were in October 2019 (N=475) and October 2022 (N=476). The recent 3 year gap in stocking was a byproduct of inconsistent statewide Muskie production, COVID shutdown of stocking in 2020, and a statewide reprioritization along with improvement in lessons learned with Muskie management. No Muskie were captured in gill nets or trap nets in the 2023 survey. Gill nets and trap nets are usually ineffective at sampling Muskie during our annual survey in September. Therefore, large frame trap nets are set every 5 years to sample the Muskie population. A survey utilizing the large frame trap nets was done in May 2022. No Muskies were sampled. Five years prior during the 2017 assessment Muskie were captured at a rate of 3.9 per net per day. During 2017, Muskie ranged in length from 11 to 50 inches and averaged 42 inches. The population estimate in 2016 (the last reliable estimate using 2017 as a recapture event) was 250 adults (anywhere from 193 to 307 when including statistical error). Given the water quality issues, a special targeted LTN assessment was also conducted during the spring of 2021. Five Muskie were caught in 3 days of netting with 2 nets each day (6 net nights). Muskies sampled ranged in length from 39.1 to 48.9 inches with an average length of 42.2 inches. Three males and 2 females were sampled. Therefore, it is strange that 0 Muskie were sampled in 2022. We suspect that the adult Muskie population has shifted to a much less abundant population, but Muskies are likely still present. Odds are high that the originally stocked Muskie in 1999 and the next year class in 2001 are now gone from the lake due to natural mortality (old age). Since 2011 when PIT tagging was started on Fox Lake, 325 unique adult Muskie have been sampled and PIT tagged and 2,950 fingerling Muskie have been PIT tagged and stocked. Electrofishing for Muskie may occur in the next year or two to determine presence and size of individuals in the population. CRAPPIE Black Crappie were captured at a rate of 17.6 per trap net, which is within the normal range (1.8 to 21.2 per trap net) and similar to 17.3 per trap net in 2022. Additionally, the catch rate is nearly equal to the long-term average of 17.0 per trap net since 1981. Fox Lake has had 9 successive years (2015-2023) of catch rates above or near the long-term average indicating a return of good numbers of crappie. Lengths of Black Crappie ranged from 5 to 10 inches in gill nets and trap nets and averaged nearly 6.5 inches in trap nets. The mean and maximum lengths are similar to the past several years indicating slow growth and potential difficulty finding adequate food. Black Crappie appear to have average or a bit below average body condition. The Black Crappie population is self-sustaining and stable with at least 2 or 3 strong year classes present based on length frequency in trap nets. The White Crappie catch rate in 2023 was 40.3 per trap net, which exceeded the normal range of catch rates for class 24 lakes (0.5 to 6.6) and is one of the top 5 catch rates since 1981. Additionally, the gill net catch rate was 31.2 per net, well above the long term average of 20.5 per trap net. Several years of above average catch rates are good news and potentially a signal that good crappie fishing may be just around the corner. During the mid-to-late 2000's, the Crappie population was dominated by many fish over 10 inches. This was largely due to hybridization that occurs when White and Black Crappie numbers are high. Currently, White Crappie lengths ranged from 3.5 to 11 inches and averaged 6 inches in the trap net sample. White Crappie, similarly to Black Crappie, had average body condition. As with 2022, White Crappie abundance exceeds Black Crappie abundance in 2023. When this occurs there is an increased probability of hybridization during spawning. Hybridization could lead to increased growth and maximum size attained by a future hybrid crappie population. Encouragingly, 2 hybrid crappie were observed in sampling in 2023. Continued monitoring will evaluate growth and hybridization. Multiple strong year classes are present and the fish, although somewhat slow growing, could attain 10 inches or greater. Annual surveys will monitor abundance and growth of Black and White Crappie. OTHER SPECIES The Yellow Perch catch rate in 2023 was 0 per gill net, which has happened 3 times since 2018 and indicates a very low abundance of Yellow Perch in the lake. Catch rates of Yellow Perch have been characterized by extreme fluctuations from 2011 to 2016 followed by a drastic drop and continued level of low abundance (less than 1 per gill net). This variability in gill net catches is most likely due to environmental conditions and/or niche overlap and competition with increasing Black and White crappie populations. Habitat loss due to lack of submerged vegetation is also a potential cause. However, with only 1 Yellow Perch caught in trap nets in 2023 additional stocking is warranted. Yellow Perch were stocked during the spring of 2022, but a resulting year class has not been observed yet. While Yellow Perch abundance remains low stocking will be done in 2024 with adults if a source is found. The Freshwater Drum catch rate was 118.3 per gill net, more than twice the long-term average (49.6 per gill net) and above the interquartile range of 4.0 to 32.3 per gill net for class 24 lakes. While the gill net catch rate was the greatest catch on record, the trap net catch rate was only 9.6 per net, less than the long-term average of 12.0 per net. There is some desire among the Fox Lake Association members and Fox Lake Conservation League to remove Freshwater Drum to reduce their relative abundance, however, past studies have shown that this may actually induce a reproduction response and can speed up growth in Freshwater Drum. Currently, the Freshwater Drum in the gill net and trap net sample range in length from 5 to 13.5 inches with an average length of just under 10 inches in the gill nets. With the exception of a few of the largest Freshwater Drum in the sample, all of these fish are potentially subject to predation by the existing Muskie population. Predation coupled with potential commercial fish removal in the future may help to reduce Freshwater Drum abundance. However, this will not be a fast shift in abundance and could take several years with intensive stocking of gamefish to keep them in balance. A potential consideration is to stock yearling or adult Muskie instead of fingerling Muskie, which will serve 2 purposes. First, larger Muskie will act as a predator right away and larger Muskie have a greater chance of survival to larger sizes and thus eat more fish over time. Additional species sampled included Bigmouth Buffalo (N=258), Bluegill (N=8), Channel Catfish (N=7), Common Carp (N=41), Golden Shiner (N=1), Largemouth Bass (N=1), Quillback Carpsucker (N=2), and Yellow Bullhead (N=2). Of these species, Bigmouth Buffalo are of particular concern. These fish, while native, can over populate and act as a source of competition for limited plankton resources due to their filter feeding which can shift the plankton community to one dominated by phytoplankton. They also have the ability to suspend sediments while looking for invertebrate food sources that can lead to internal nutrient loading and create poor water quality. The large 2013-2015 year classes of Bigmouth Buffalo appear to be a possible driver of poor water quality on Fox over the last few years. While those year classes of fish continue to grow and move through the fish community, their growth appears to be slower than other populations in the Windom area. Continued monitoring will be done to track changes in numbers and species caught in Fox Lake.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Muskellunge, Northern Pike, White Crappie, Green Sunfish, and Black Crappie in Fox. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Fox has a maximum depth of 20 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

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