Stanchfield

Stanchfield Lake (DOW# 49-0118-00; Lake Class 33) is a 145 acre lake located near Pillager, Minnesota. The lake has an approximately 40 acre open water area with the remainder of its area attached wetland. A Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) owned undeveloped gravel boat ramp is located on the south shore. Stanchfield Lake has 3.08 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 32 feet. The lake is primarily managed for Black Crappie and Bluegill. Largemouth Bass are a secondary management species. The lake was initially surveyed in 1959 and nine fish sampling surveys or investigations have occurred since then with the most recent prior sampling (a spring electrofishing survey) in 2015. Daytime spring electrofishing was used on Stanchfield Lake on 19 May 2021 to evaluate Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Black Crappie populations. Only two (3.1/hour) Largemouth Bass were netted in the 2021 spring electrofishing effort. Bass captured in the 2021 assessment were 9.0 and 9.9 inches in total length. Few other bass were observed during sampling suggesting spawning activity had not yet started. Fourteen Bluegill ranging from 4.3 to 9.1 inches and averaging 6.4 inches in total length were captured during the assessment. Bluegill spawning was not observed, so relatively few were encountered in shallow water. The catch rate of Bluegill was 21.5/hour. No aging structures were taken from Bluegill in 2021. Bluegill growth from past assessments suggested slow initial growth through age three, with normal growth commencing after age 4. The presence of Bluegill exceeding 9 inches in this assessment suggests a quality size component exists in Stanchfield Lake. The remote nature of the lake may afford some protection to the fishery, although its small size may make it vulnerable to overharvest if angler effort were to increase significantly. Fisheries managers suggest anglers limit their harvest of Bluegill exceeding 8.0 inches on the lake and consider taking only enough for a single meal of fish per angler. Black Crappie was the most abundant species netted in the 2021 electrofishing assessment. Spawning had commenced during the survey in 2021, making them vulnerable to electrofishing. A total of 98 Black Crappie were sampled for a catch rate of 150.7/hour. Crappie ranged from 6.0 to 11.3 inches and averaged 9.2 inches in total length. More than 20% of the crappie sample exceeded 10 inches. A subsample of fish were aged and 2 through 8 and 10 year old fish were present in the sample in 2021. Crappie appear to grow normal to slow with individuals exceeding 9 inches at age 4 and 10 inches at age 6. Growth once fish exceed 10 inches slows substantially. Catch rates and size distribution were similar when compared to an electrofishing survey done in 2015. Other species observed during the 2021 electrofishing survey included Northern Pike and Yellow Perch. Four Northern Pike ranging from 12.2 to 20.9 inches were measured and seventeen Yellow Perch from 3.2 to 10.2 inches were sampled. Spring daytime electrofishing has shown to be an effective method of evaluating the fish community in Stanchfield Lake and will be used again as it is less time consuming compared to spring trap net assessments.

Daytime spring electrofishing was conducted on Stanchfield Lake in early May of 2015 to evaluate Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Black Crappie. Primary management species for Stanchfield Lake are Largemouth Bass and Bluegill with Black Crappie as secondary. Stanchfield Lake will also have an occasional winterkill which disrupts the fish community composition. Only nine (20/hour) Largemouth Bass were netted in the 2015 spring electrofishing effort compared to thirty-six (70/hour) in 2009. Both the 2015 and 2009 electrofishing assessments were daytime efforts. The 2015 bass sample was comprised of medium size fish between 9.2 and 14.8 inches in length with a mean length of 12.5 inches. Five different year classes of bass (ages 3-7) were represented among the nine total fish sampled in 2015. Bass growth rates were in the normal range for the work area. The 2015 spring daytime electrofishing proved to be an effective method for sampling both Bluegill and Black Crappie. An abundance of both species was observed during the electrofishing effort and a subsample was captured and measured to obtain a length range. A total of eighty-five bluegill were netted of the fish observed. The fish ranged from 4.1 to 8.5 inches in length with a mean length of 6.6 inches for the sample. Modal length for the catch was 6.5  7 inches with 34% (n=29) of the fish exceeding seven inches and 2% (n=2) more than eight inches in length. Age groups 4-10 were observed in the 2015 sample with an even representation among the year classes. Black Crappie was the most abundant species netted in the 2015 electrofishing assessment. One hundred eight crappie (244/hour) were sampled out of the fish observed compared to 48 (94/hour) in 2009. Crappie up to 10.4 inches were measured in the 2015 electrofishing assessment, but mean length was 8.1 inches for the sample. Modal length was 7.5  8 inches with 25% (n= 27) more than nine inches and 5% (n=4) exceeding ten inches in length. Crappies showed stable recruitment with all age groups 2-10 fairly evenly represented with the exception of the 2011 year class which comprised 55% of the total sample. Crappie growth rates ranged from slow to below average when compared to work area means Also observed during the 2015 electrofishing effort were a few small Northern Pike, a few adult Yellow Perch, and one White Sucker. Spring daytime electrofishing has shown to be an effective method of evaluating the fish community in Stanchfield Lake and will be used again as it is less time consuming compared to spring trap net assessments.

Daytime electrofishing was conducted in mid-May to evaluate the largemouth bass population in Stanchfield Lake. The effort was conducted using a new boat with 2 netters while previous assessments were done at night with an older boat and one netter. Past electrofishing data may not be comparable due to different sampling methods. The 2009 assessment captured a total of 36 largemouth bass in 0.65 hour of effort for a catch rate of 70/hour. The fish measured from 3.9 inches to 15.6 inches in length. Mean length was 8.5 inches and modal length 5 - 5.5 inches. Seventeen (47%) of the bass were less than 8 inches in length. PSD for the sample was 79. Night electrofishing was conducted in both 2001 and 1995. Only eight bass were netted in 2001 for a catch rate of 12/hour while 49 bass were caught in 1995, catch rate = 84/hour. Seven of the bass in 2001 were between 8 and 11 inches in length, while the eighth bass was 19.3 inches which demonstrated potential to produce trophy size fish. In 1995, all of the bass caught were small, between 7.6 and 11.3 inches in length. Ages 2 thru 7 were represented in the 2009 electrofishing sample with two strong year classes from 2005 and 2007 accounting for 67% of the catch. All of the age groups displayed normal growth when compared to an area mean back-calculated length table. Average age was 3.6 years. Stanchfield Lake had a partial winterkill in 1998-99 which seemed to affect the bass the most. Adult largemouth bass were reintroduced to the lake in the spring of 1999. A subsample of the many black crappie observed during the 2009 electrofishing effort was also netted. A total of 48 fish were caught (93.6/hr). Fish measured from 4.8 to 9 inches in length with a mean length of 7.8 inches. Modal length was 8 - 8.5 inches and only one fish was nine inches. Ages 2 thru 5 were represented in the catch with the 2005 year class accounting for 60% of the sample. All of the age groups exhibited normal growth when compared to an area mean back-calculated length table. Other fish observed during the 2009 electrofishing run were bluegill, brown bullhead, yellow perch, white sucker, golden shiner, central mudminnow, northern pike, and pumpkinseed. Some of the bluegill were over 7 inches but most were small. The northern pike that were observed were small.

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

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

Stanchfield has a maximum depth of 32 feet and a mean depth of 19 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Stanchfield is from 2021.

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