Amelia

Lake Amelia is a 934-acre natural basin located approximately one mile southwest of the City of Villard in Pope County. It is the lowermost basin in a chain of three lakes comprised of Leven, Villard, and Amelia Lakes. Lake Amelia is larger and much deeper than connected basins. Maximum depth is 69 feet and average depth is 21 feet. Upstream Leven and Villard lakes remove and assimilate nutrients and sediments delivered from a large watershed before discharging to Lake Amelia. Water clarity typically averages over 10 feet but was only 7 feet during the mid-summer portion of this survey. Bottom soils are primarily sand and gravel. The mid-lake portion of Lake Amelia features many underwater humps and points, creating diverse habitat for fish and features for anglers to target. Dense stands of emergent aquatic vegetation remain along the northwest shoreline. The lake supports a diverse submergent plant community. In response to very good water clarity, submergent plants grow to a depth of 19 feet. A standard lake survey was completed during 2025 to assess the fish community of Lake Amelia. The major components of the survey included a spring panfish survey, a Largemouth Bass electrofishing survey, and a mid-summer gill net survey. Lake Amelia supports a healthy, robust fish community. The mid-summer portion of this survey was used to assess the Walleye, Northern Pike and Yellow Perch populations. Primary fish management is focused on the Walleye fishery. Currently, Walleye are abundant in Lake Amelia. Higher levels of natural reproduction have been observed in Lake Amelia's Walleye population in recent years. Walleye fry are now stocked in even-numbered years, however most of the fish observed in the survey were from non-stocked years. A gill net catch rate of 14.3 Walleye/net during the 2025 survey is above average. Multiple year classes are well represented in the population, but the 2023 year class was particularly strong. Many of the Walleye were between 11.0 and 14.0 inches at the time of the survey, which should support good fishing opportunities over the next few years. Northern Pike abundance is moderate. Smaller fish typically dominate the Northern Pike population in Lake Amelia. Though larger pike have been observed in past surveys, only one fish over 26.0 inches was caught during the 2025 survey. Anglers are encouraged to harvest small "hammerhandle" pike in this system. Catch rates of Yellow Perch continue to be low. Yellow Perch abundance is cause for concern as they are typically an important prey species in many lakes. Catch rates have been extremely low since 2003. However, Walleye growth rates are acceptable, suggesting other prey fish are available in large enough numbers to sustain growth. Multiple species of minnows and shiners were observed in near-shore surveys. Largemouth Bass electrofishing survey results were consistent with past surveys. Largemouth Bass are abundant in Lake Amelia. Most of the bass caught in this survey were 14.0 to 16.0 inches and the largest bass was 18.1 inches. Bass approaching 20.0 inches have been observed in past surveys. The spring panfish survey targeted Bluegill and Black Crappie. Bluegill are abundant in Lake Amelia. Bluegill growth rates are moderate, but many older and quality size fish are currently present in the lake. Approximately 30% of the Bluegill caught in the survey were over 8 inches long and the largest Bluegill was 9.8 inches long. Black Crappie abundance appears to be low, but growth rates are very fast. Lake Amelia has the ability to produce large crappies, with fish over 13 inches recorded in many surveys. The largest crappie caught during this survey was 14.2 inches. Lake Amelia was designated as an infested water after the discovery of zebra mussels in 2018. Recreational users should take necessary precautions to prevent further spread of invasive species. Drain all water and remove all aquatic vegetation from your boat and trailer when leaving any body of water. Sunfish anglers are reminded that a special regulation was implemented in spring 2022 that reduced the daily bag limit of sunfish from 20 to 10 to help protect and improve sunfish quality on this lake. For more information regarding the Quality Sunfish Initiative, see the following: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fish/sunfish/index.html.

This nearshore survey was conducted during summer 2025 to assess populations of non-game species and small game fish using backpack electrofishing and seining. Backpack electrofishing and/or seining were conducted at 14 stations, representing a variety of habitat types, along the shoreline of Lake Amelia. The survey was conducted during the five-year sampling window for intensive monitoring efforts within the Chippewa River watershed, and will be contributing to a watershed assessment process in coordination with Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Nineteen species were collected during this survey. Six species (Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, Least Darter, Pugnose Shiner, and Rock Bass) were considered "intolerant" based on current tolerance classifications for Minnesota lakes. No "tolerant" species were collected. Nearshore catch data will be used along with gill and trap net catch data to develop an Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) score, which is indicative of the health of Lake Amelia.

A summer trap net survey was conducted in Lake Amelia by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment program staff beginning on June 11, 2025. Twelve trap nets were set along the shoreline in locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Trap net sampling captured 10 species of fish, including one species that is intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Rock Bass). Bluegill comprised a majority of the catch by number and Bluegill and Rock Bass comprised a majority of the catch by biomass. The trap net data were combined with nearshore data from July 2025 and gill net data from a survey conducted in August 2025 to describe the fish community and provide a fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The survey results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Chippewa River Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. Lake Amelia provides recreational angling opportunities for sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, and Walleye. Lake Amelia provides habitat for the Pugnose Shiner, a species of special concern in Minnesota. Pugnose Shiner rely on aquatic vegetation and high-quality shoreline habitat to carry out their life cycles. You can help protect the Pugnose Shiner and other fish in Lake Amelia by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Hybrid Sunfish, Rock Bass, Walleye, Black Crappie, and Largemouth Bass in Amelia. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Amelia has a maximum depth of 69 feet and a mean depth of 21 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

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