Zumbro

Lake Zumbro is a large reservoir on the Zumbro River. It is a popular recreation and fishing lake due to its proximity to Rochester, MN. The primary gamefish in the reservoir are Bluegill, Black Crappie, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, and Northern Pike. A walleye stocking program was initiated in 2008 and fingerlings are stocked at a rate of one pound per surface acre (600 pounds total) in even numbered years. Black Crappie in Lake Zumbro were poorly represented in the trap nets in the 2021 survey, but were sampled in fair numbers in gill nets. However, most of the Black Crappie were under 8 inches. The Northern Pike numbers were excellent and it was the most Northern Pike sampled in a decade. Channel Catfish are present in low numbers and provide anglers with another opportunity to catch larger gamefish. Channel Catfish numbers have generally been on the decline over time. Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass have historically been abundant in the reservoir, and fall electrofishing confirmed that a good population of both species exists in Lake Zumbro. Muskellunge were introduced to Lake Zumbro in 1994 and a substantial number of fingerlings have been stocked periodically since that time. Assessments of the Muskellunge population have shown a very low number of adult fish, but occasional catches and sightings have been reported by anglers. Muskellunge have established a quality population in the Zumbro River downstream of the Lake Zumbro dam. Previous studies have shown that escapement of Muskellunge is common and most fingerlings stocked in Lake Zumbro go over the dam and into the Zumbro River system. Lake Zumbro was last stocked Muskellunge in 2018 (150 fingerlings) and 2019 (300 fingerlings). At the time of the 2021 fisheries assessment, 6 stockings of Walleye fingerlings had taken place since the stocking program was initiated in 2008. The low catch rate of Walleye per gill net suggests that survival and contribution to the fishery are poor. However, nighttime electrofishing in 2015 sampled Walleye at a rate of 31.9 per hour on-time. Anglers have also reported catching Walleye in low numbers and it is expected that catch rates may increase as more year classes of walleye are established. The morphometry of Lake Zumbro is steep sided in many places and gill nets may not be the best indicator of Walleye abundance in this reservoir. A major dam removal and stream restoration project was completed upstream of Lake Zumbro in recent years. It is hoped that the added riverine habitat will provide spawning area for walleye. White Bass were historically a substantial component of the fishery in Lake Zumbro. However, their numbers have declined drastically over the last 10 to 15 years. Several large die-offs of White Bass have been documented; however, a cause was never determined. It is likely that these die-offs and changes in habitat within the reservoir have limited the potential for White Bass to recover to their former abundance. Non-game fish species such as redhorse, carpsuckers, Common Carp, and buffalo are abundant in Lake Zumbro. The presence of these species is indicative of the riverine connections above the reservoir. A dredging project was recently completed in the upper end of Lake Zumbro. The goal was to increase depth along homeowner shorelines, marinas, boat accesses, and navigation channels. Future surveys will be performed to try and observe any effect on the fish communities from the dredging project.

Lake Zumbro is a large reservoir on the Zumbro River. It is a popular recreation and fishing lake due to its proximity to Rochester, MN. The primary gamefish in the reservoir are Bluegill, Black Crappie, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, and Northern Pike. A walleye stocking program was initiated in 2008 and fingerlings are stocked at a rate of one pound per surface acre (600 pounds total) in even calendar years. Black Crappie populations in Lake Zumbro were excellent in the 2018 survey and good crappie fishing was reported to the Lake City office. The Northern Pike and Channel Catfish are present in low numbers and provide anglers with the opportunity to catch larger gamefish. Only one Northern Pike was captured in 2018 and this is the lowest number captured in the survey history of Lake Zumbro. Channel Catfish numbers have been on the decline over time, however catch rates in 2018 (3.0 per gill net) were identical to those observed in 2015. Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass have historically been abundant in the reservoir, but fall electrofishing could not be completed in 2018 because of weather conditions and lake levels. Muskellunge were introduced to Lake Zumbro in 1994 and a substantial number of fingerlings have been stocked periodically since that time. Assessments of the Muskellunge population have generally shown a very low number of adult fish, but occasional catches and sightings have been reported by anglers. Muskellunge have established a quality population in the Zumbro River downstream of the Lake Zumbro dam. Previous studies have shown that escapement of Muskellunge is common and most fingerlings stocked in Lake Zumbro go over the dam and into the Zumbro River system. Three hundred Muskellunge fingerlings were stocked in Lake Zumbro in 2018. At the time of the 2018 fisheries assessment, five stockings of Walleye fingerlings had taken place since the stocking program was initiated in 2008. The low catch rate of 0.17 Walleye per gill net suggests that survival and contribution to the fishery are poor. However, night time electrofishing in 2015 sampled Walleye at a rate of 31.9 per hour on-time. Anglers have also reported catching Walleye in low numbers and it is expected that catch rates will increase as more year classes of walleye are established. The morphometry of Lake Zumbro is steep sided in many places and gill nets may not be the best indicator of Walleye abundance in this reservoir. Two memorable sized walleye were captured in trap nets at the upper end of Lake Zumbro in 2018. This is the portion of the lake that returns into a riverine system and it is possible that many of the stocked walleye use the Zumbro river system upstream of the reservoir. White Bass were historically a substantial component of the fishery in Lake Zumbro. However, their numbers have declined drastically over the last 10 to 15 years. Several large die-offs of White Bass have been documented; however a cause was never determined. It is likely that these die-offs and changes in habitat within the reservoir have limited the potential for White Bass to recover to their former abundance. Non-game fish species such as Redhorse, Carpsuckers, Common Carp, and Buffalo are abundant in Lake Zumbro. The presence of these species is indicative of the riverine connections above the reservoir. A dredging project is scheduled to begin in Lake Zumbro in 2019. Accumulated sediments will be removed from various portions of the reservoir and this will increase the amount of deeper water habitat in the lake. Post dredging project fisheries surveys are planned for 2020 and 2023 to see how the fish community responds to the habitat changes.

Status Of The Fishery: Lake Zumbro is a large reservoir on the Zumbro Riverand it is a popular recreation and fishing lake due to its proximity to Rochester, MN. The primary gamefish in the reservoir are Bluegill, Black Crappie, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, and Smallmouth Bass. A Walleye fingerling stocking program was initiated in 2008. Walleye fingerlings are stocked at a rate of one pound per surface acre (600 pounds total) in even calendar years. A major flood in the fall of 2010 made some changes in Lake Zumbro. The public access off of Olmstead County 12 (Sandy Point) is no longer useable due to major sediment deposition. The flood caused the upper end of Lake Zumbro to become shallower at a faster rate than normal deposition. The large 2010 flood may also have influenced fish populations in the reservoir. There are plans for dredging in the upper end of the reservoir. Black Crappie populations in Lake Zumbro were excellent in 2015 and good crappie fishing was reported to the Lake City office. Northern Pike and Channel Catfish provide anglers with the opportunity to catch larger gamefish. Channel Catfish numbers have been on the decline and this may be due to sedimentation and habitat changes in the reservoir. Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass are abundant in the reservoir. Muskellunge were introduced to Lake Zumbro in 1994 and a substantial number of fingerlings have been stocked periodically since that time. Assessments of the Muskellunge population have generally shown a very low number of adult fish, but occasional catches and sightings have been reported by anglers. Muskellunge have established a quality population in the Zumbro River downstream of the Lake Zumbro dam. At the time of the 2015 fisheries assessment, four stockings of Walleye fingerlings had taken place since 2008 in even numbered years. The catch rate of 0.33 Walleye per gill net indicates a low population. However, night time electrofishing resulted in 31.9 Walleye per hour on-time. Most of these Walleye were likely too small to be sampled in gill nets in early summer and likely were from fingerling stocking in 2014. Anglers have reported catching Walleye in low numbers and it is expected that catch rates will increase as more year classes of are established. White Bass were historically a substantial component of the fishery in Lake Zumbro. However their numbers have declined drastically and only one was sampled in the 2011 assessment. Several large die-offs of White Bass have been documented; however a cause was never determined. It is likely that these die-offs and changes in habitat within the reservoir have limited the potential for White Bass to recover to their former abundance. However, 16 young-of-year sized White Bass were sampled in fall nighttime electrofishing.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Smallmouth Bass, Black Crappie, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike in Zumbro. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Zumbro has a maximum depth of 43 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

Yes — Zumbro has confirmed zebra mussel. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.