Ripley (west portion)

Ripley is a medium sized lake (614 acres) located next to the City of Litchfield in Meeker County. Ripley has four miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 18 feet. A city owned public access, with a cement boat ramp, and a large amount of parking is present on the east shore. A county owned public access, with a cement boat ramp, is present on the lake's western shore. A fishing pier is also available at the Ripley County Park on the west side of the lake. Spring trap netting, targeting Bluegill and Black Crappie, was completed at Ripley Lake on from May 1st to June 6th. Data was collected for size structure analysis. In addition to Bluegill and Black Crappie, Pumpkinseed Sunfish and Hybrid Sunfish were also collected during this assessment. Spring panfish trap netting catches should not be compared to historical summer trap net catches because summer trap net catches sometimes do a poor job of sampling larger Bluegill. A new sunfish regulation (five fish bag limit) began on March 2022. The regulation was implemented to achieve a high quality sunfish population that includes more large fish exceeding 8 inches). Anglers can find sunfish scattered throughout Ripley's submergent vegetation beds. Bigger Bluegill are often found in deeper water during the mid-summer months and offshore vegetation can be fairly dense some years at Ripley - making those larger sunfish tough to locate. Try dragging a waxworm under a sinker in 8 to 10 feet of water in mid-summer if you cannot find the big sunnies up shallow. The scattered submergent vegetation beds along the north shore are popular with winter sunfish anglers. Crappie recruitment appeared to be inconsistent at Ripley Lake. Crappie can sometimes be found off the deep weed edges in the summer using a small minnow under a bobber. Winter fishing pressure can be substantial at Ripley Lake and crappie are often found along the deeper flats or breaks, and around the deep hole. 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. Ripley Lake has the AIS - Eurasian watermilfoil. 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.

Ripley is a medium sized lake (614 acres) located next to the City of Litchfield in Meeker County. Ripley has four miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 18 feet. A city owned public access with a cement boat ramp and a large amount of parking is present on the east shore. A county-owned public access with a cement boat ramp is found on the lake's western shore. A fishing pier is also available at the Ripley County Park on the west side of the lake. Spring trap netting targeting Bluegill and Black Crappie was completed at Ripley Lake on May 16, 2022. Data was collected for size structure analysis. In addition to Bluegill and Black Crappie, Pumpkinseed Sunfish and Hybrid Sunfish were also collected during this assessment. Spring panfish trap netting catches should not be compared to historical summer trap net catches because summer trap net catches do a poor job of representatively sampling Bluegill. Moderate numbers of Bluegill were collected in 2022 and fish were 3 to 8 inches long, averaging a little over 6 inches. Approximately 19% of the sample was 7 inches or longer, showing that fair numbers of keeper-sized fish were present. A new Sunfish regulation (five fish bag limit) went into effect on March 1, 2022. Size structure of Bluegill is believed to have declined over the decades at Ripley Lake and the new regulation should limit harvest enough to improve sunfish sizes over time. Low numbers of Black Crappie were collected in 2022, and fish were 8 to 11 inches long, averaging slightly over 8 inches. Crappie recruitment appeared to be inconsistent at Ripley Lake. 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. Ripley Lake has the AIS - Eurasian watermilfoil. 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.

A Largemouth Bass population estimate was conducted at Lake Ripley beginning on May 4, 2022 and ending on June 8, 2022, with eleven different days being sampled. Daytime and nighttime electrofishing (approximately nineteen hours) was used to capture Largemouth Bass. Fish were measured and all bass over 8 inches were given a left pelvic fin clip for the Schnabel mark/recapture population estimate. The entire shoreline was shocked most days. The bullrush beds on the northeast side consistently held the most fish. Netters were instructed to collect all fish eight inches and larger, with smaller bass being released. A total of 19.1 hours of electrofishing occurred, sampling 422 Largemouth Bass (including recaps). The total catch rate was 22.1 fish/hour. Measured Largemouth Bass were 7.9 to 21.3 inches long with a mean of 14.0. The proportional stock density and proportional stock density - preferred was 70 and 45, meaning 70 % of fish were over 12 inches and 45% of fish sampled were over 15 inches in total length. The Population Estimate, for fish of all lengths, was 3,453 fish (95% Confidence Interval 2,398 - 5,926) or 5.6 fish/acre. The Population Estimate, for 12 inch and longer fish, was 1,657 fish (95% Confidence Interval 1,135 - 2,816) or 2.7 fish/acre.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Walleye, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, White Crappie, and Green Sunfish in Ripley (west portion). See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Ripley (west portion). Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Ripley (west portion) has a maximum depth of 18 feet and a mean depth of 12 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Ripley (west portion) is from 2021.

Yes — Ripley (west portion) has confirmed Eurasian watermilfoil. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.