Little Swan

Little Swan is a small lake (51 acres) located north of the City of Dassel in Meeker County. A state-owned access with limited parking and a single cement boat ramp is present on the west shore. Little Swan has approximately one mile of shoreline and a maximum depth of thirty-one feet. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has divided Minnesota's lakes into 44 different classes based on physical and chemical characteristics. Little Swan is a class 30 lake and other similar waterbodies in the Hutchinson Fisheries Management Area are Little Mud and Dunns Lakes in Meeker County. Little Swan's 2014 lake management plan listed Northern Pike, Black Crappie, Bluegill and Largemouth Bass as primary management species. Gill nets were set in 2023 to monitor the fish population. Moderate numbers of Northern Pike were netted with fish averaging 27.7 inches in length. Approximately 70% of pike netted were 26 inches or longer. Northern Pike regulations were revised at a statewide level beginning in 2018 to better accommodate regional differences in pike habitats, population abundances and size structures. Three management zones were established for Northern Pike, with their own bag limit and length limit restrictions. In the north-central zone, where Little Swan is found, anglers can keep up to ten Northern Pike, but no more than two fish can be longer than 26 inches; and all pike from 22 to 26 inches must be immediately released. Darkhouse spear fishermen are allowed to have one pike within the protected slot limit in their possession. This zone regulation is meant to reduce small pike abundance by shifting population size structure back to more medium and large sized pike. Moderate numbers of Black Crappie were netted in 2023, with fish averaging 7 inches in length. Only 1% of the gill net catch was 9 inches or longer. The longest Black Crappie sampled in the summer gill nets was 9.5 inches. Low numbers of Yellow Perch were netted and most were small. Average length was 6.5 inches, and the longest perch sampled was 7.9 inches. Perch play an important role as forage in this lake. Walleye were not sampled in 2023 or in the previous survey's (2013) gill nets, and are possibly no longer present at Little Swan Lake. Walleye were last stocked in 1997. Low numbers of Bluegill were netted, but that species typically does not sample well in gill nets. Average length was 5.9 inches and maximum length was 7.1 inches. Very low numbers of Largemouth Bass were netted, but that species typically does not sample well in gill nets. Largemouth Bass were 9 and 15 inches long. Additional fishes sampled in the gill nets included Golden Shiner, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed and Yellow Bullhead. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Overharvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are typically moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters and lakeshore owners, and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants and animals from their watercraft and drain all lake water from their boat and bait buckets before leaving the lake. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local MNDNR office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the MNDNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Hutchinson Area Fisheries office.

Little Swan is a small lake (51 acres) located north of the City of Dassel in Meeker County. A state-owned access with limited parking and a single cement boat ramp is present on the west shore. Little Swan has approximately one mile of shoreline and a maximum depth of thirty-one feet. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has divided Minnesota's lakes into 44 different classes based on physical and chemical characteristics. Little Swan is a class 30 lake and other similar waterbodies in the Hutchinson Fisheries Management Area are Little Mud and Dunns Lakes in Meeker County. Little Swan's 2014 lake management plan listed Northern Pike, Black Crappie, Bluegill and Largemouth Bass as primary management species. Gill nets were set in 2023 to monitor the fish population. Moderate numbers of Northern Pike were netted with fish averaging 27.7 inches in length. Approximately 70% of pike netted were 26 inches or longer. Northern Pike regulations were revised at a statewide level beginning in 2018 to better accommodate regional differences in pike habitats, population abundances and size structures. Three management zones were established for Northern Pike, with their own bag limit and length limit restrictions. In the north-central zone, where Little Swan is found, anglers can keep up to ten Northern Pike, but no more than two fish can be longer than 26 inches; and all pike from 22 to 26 inches must be immediately released. Darkhouse spear fishermen are allowed to have one pike within the protected slot limit in their possession. This zone regulation is meant to reduce small pike abundance by shifting population size structure back to more medium and large sized pike. Moderate numbers of Black Crappie were netted in 2023, with fish averaging 7 inches in length. Only 1% of the gill net catch was 9 inches or longer. The longest Black Crappie sampled in the summer gill nets was 9.5 inches. Low numbers of Yellow Perch were netted and most were small. Average length was 6.5 inches, and the longest perch sampled was 7.9 inches. Perch play an important role as forage in this lake. Walleye were not sampled in 2023 or in the previous survey's (2013) gill nets, and are possibly no longer present at Little Swan Lake. Walleye were last stocked in 1997. Low numbers of Bluegill were netted, but that species typically does not sample well in gill nets. Average length was 5.9 inches and maximum length was 7.1 inches. Very low numbers of Largemouth Bass were netted, but that species typically does not sample well in gill nets. Largemouth Bass were 9 and 15 inches long. Additional fishes sampled in the gill nets included Golden Shiner, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed and Yellow Bullhead. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Overharvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are typically moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters and lakeshore owners, and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants and animals from their watercraft and drain all lake water from their boat and bait buckets before leaving the lake. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local MNDNR office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the MNDNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Hutchinson Area Fisheries office.

Little Swan is a small sized lake (51 acres) located north of the City of Dassel in Meeker County. Little Swan has about one mile of shoreline and a maximum depth of 31 feet. A state-owned public access with a cement boat ramp and a very small amount of parking is present on the west shore. Water clarity is typically fair to moderate and submergent vegetation is often moderate in abundance at Little Swan. A spring trap netting survey was conducted during early June 2022. Trap nets were used to target Bluegill and Black crappie. Spring trap net data should not be compared to historical summer trap net data as summer nets often do a poor job of representatively sampling Bluegill. High numbers of Bluegill were collected and fish were 3 to 7 inches long, averaging 6 inches. Less than 1% of the sample was 7 inches or longer, indicating that most of the fish were on the small side. Bluegill were age-2 to age-9 with eight year classes being present. Bluegill anglers can find the sunfish throughout Little Swan's vegetation beds and lily pads. Moderate numbers of Black Crappie were collected, averaging 7 inches in length. The longest crappie collected was just over 9 inches in length and very few of fish sampled reached that length. Black Crappie were age-2 to age-9 with seven year classes being present. Moderate numbers of Pumpkinseed Sunfish were captured, averaging 6 inches in length. The longest Pumpkinseed Sunfish was just over 7 inches long. Only about 7% of the catch was 7 inches or longer. Pumpkinseed were age-2 to age-7 with five year classes being present. The same fishing techniques that catch Bluegill will also take Pumpkinseed Sunfish. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Over harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are typically moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters and lakeshore owners, and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants and animals from their watercraft and drain all lake water from their boat and bait buckets before leaving the lake. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local DNR office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Hutchinson Area Fisheries office.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, White Crappie, and Walleye in Little Swan. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Little Swan has a maximum depth of 31 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Little Swan is from 2023.

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