Cannon

Nighttime electrofishing for YOY Walleye was completed on 6 October 2025. Three hundred and thirty-seven age-0 Walleyes were sampled during 90 minutes of electrofishing for a catch rate of 224.1/hour on-time. Age-0 Walleye averaged 7.9 inches and ranged from 5.9 inches to 10.8 inches. The mean catch rate since 1997 during fry stocked years (n=13) was 193.7/per hour on-time while non-stocked years (n=6) have averaged 12.5/hour on-time.

A survey targeting age-0 Walleyes was conducted at Cannon Lake on 16 October 2023 using 52 minutes of standard boat electrofishing. A total of 397 age-0 Walleyes averaging 7.25 inches were sampled for a catch rate of 454.6/hour on-time. In 17 surveys since 1997, the mean catch rate during fry-stocked years (n = 11) was 208.0/hour on-time while the mean catch rate from non-stocked years (n = 6) was just 12.5/hour on-time. Additionally, the 5 highest catch rates on record have been collected in recent years (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023). This coincides with the Walleye strain performance study being conducted by Fisheries Research and the expanded use of Lower Mississippi Strain (LMS) Walleye fry. Fry stocking, and particularly LMS fry stocking, appears to be responsible for a surge in age-0 Walleye numbers in Cannon Lake in recent years.

Cannon Lake is a 1,476-acre lake located in Rice County west of the city of Faribault. A DNR-owned public access is located on the southeast side of the lake adjacent to Shager Park (Rice County) off MN-60. Cannon Lake is a large, windswept, relatively shallow lake with a maximum depth of 15 feet. Cannon Lake is managed primarily for Walleye, which are stocked every other year as. Cannon Lake was surveyed the week 14 August 2023 as part of a regular monitoring program conducted by Minnesota DNR. This survey was intended to assess the fish community by deploying twelve gill nets and 11 trap nets, as well as recording water quality parameters. The Walleye population in Cannon Lake continues to exhibit strong numbers of quality fish. The 2023 catch rate was 11.0/gill net and is above the long-term Cannon Lake average of 7.5/gill net. Walleye lengths ranged from 6.8 to 28.0 inches and averaged 15.7 inches. The shallow, productive water of Cannon Lake combined with abundant Yellow Perch allows for relatively fast growth. Yellow Perch was the most abundant game fish in the 2023 survey, with a total of 279 fish collected in gill nets (23.3/net). Yellow Perch catch rates have remained relatively stable throughout the years except for a 1981 survey when the catch rate was 114.5/gill net. The Yellow Perch collected in 2023 ranged in length from 2.8 to 9.6 inches and averaged 6.4 inches. Small Yellow Perch are common among many southern Minnesota lakes. The abundance of small Yellow Perch can help to explain the fast growth rate of Walleye. Cannon Lake in the past has not supported the aquatic vegetation required to sustain a large Bluegill population. As a result, Bluegill catch rates have been low throughout the survey history. Trap nets in the 2023 survey collected a total of 162 Bluegill (14.7/net), which is the highest on record, well above the long-term average catch rate for Cannon Lake (3.0/net). The length of Bluegill collected in trap nets ranged from 3.2 to 7.4 inches and averaged 4.9 inches. The western end of Cannon Lake has seen an increased amount of aquatic vegetation growth and an increase in water clarity which has likely influenced the increase of the Bluegill population. Black Crappie abundance in Cannon Lake has been variable and overall population levels appear to be dependent on successful year classes every 3-5 years. Gill nets yielded a catch rate of 3.8 fish/net in 2023. Black Crappie collected in gill nets ranged in length from 3.1 to 10.4 inches. Black Crappie were also sampled in trap nets at a rate of 2.6/net. Black Crappie were aged using otoliths and scales. Seven year classes were represented, age-1 through age-5, and age-7 and age-8. The 2020 year class (age-3) made up 52 percent of the sample. Northern Pike were sampled at a rate of 0.8/gill net in 2023. The Northern Pike population in Cannon Lake has remained low throughout the survey history, ranging from 0.5/gill net in 1972 to 2.0/gill net in 2020 and averaging just 1.1/gill net. Northern Pike lengths ranged from 19.9 to 38.8 inches and averaged 28.2 inches. Seventy-five percent of Northern Pike exceeded the 24-inch minimum size requirement for harvest. Channel Catfish are present throughout the Cannon River chain of lakes and provide a valuable angling opportunity. Channel Catfish catch rates in Cannon Lake have averaged 0.8/gill net in surveys conducted since 1972. However, catch rates had increased in recent years. The 2009 survey yielded 1.4 fish/gill net and had stayed above that rate since. However, in 2023 only 1 Channel Catfish was sampled in the survey. That fish measured 30.8 inches and weighed approximately 12.0 pounds. White Bass in Cannon Lake provide a valuable angling opportunity. White Bass catch rates peaked in 1999 (103.4/gill net), which was likely the result of a single, large year class. The past two surveys (2020, 4.5/net; 2023, 0.7/net) yielded lower catch rates. Only age-0 White Bass were sampled in 2023, ranging in size from 5.5 to 6.3 inches. White Bass can be caught throughout the year and are considered great table fare. Largemouth Bass are not effectively sampled in netting gears, so the bass population was assessed using boat electrofishing. Largemouth Bass were sampled at a rate of 73.2/hour. These fish ranged in length from 4.1 to 20.1 inches in length and averaged 15.7 inches. Other fish species collected during the 2023 survey included Bigmouth Buffalo, Black Bullhead, Bowfin (dogfish), Common Carp, Freshwater Drum (sheepshead), Pumpkinseed Sunfish, River Carpsucker, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead. White sucker, which is an important prey fish for predators such as Walleye, was one of the most abundant fish species collected in gill nets. Water quality parameter measurements included water temperature and dissolved oxygen readings. Cannon Lake is shallow, windswept, and productive, so water clarity is often low. Water temperatures and dissolved oxygen readings throughout the water column ranged from 75.6 degrees Fahrenheit and 9.0 ppm at the surface to 75.2 degrees Fahrenheit and 7.8 ppm at 12.0 feet. Anglers can play an important role in maintaining or improving a fish population by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest allows for the harvest of smaller fish for consumption, while encouraging the release of medium to large fish that may contribute to natural reproduction. This practice helps maintain balance in the fish populations and provides anglers the opportunity to catch more and larger fish in the future. Additionally, smaller fish often taste better and have fewer contaminants than larger, older fish from the same water body. Shoreline property owners also play an important role in the overall health of an aquatic ecosystem, including the fish population. Natural shorelines, including vegetation, woody debris, and bottom substrates, provide valuable habitat for fish and wildlife, help maintain water quality, and reduce bank erosion. Cattails and bulrushes are particularly beneficial for fish spawning, rearing, and feeding. By leaving natural shorelines unaltered or restoring them to natural conditions, shoreline property owners are doing their part to maintain or improve a healthy ecosystem in the lake and protect the resource for future generations. -Tyler Fellows, fisheries specialist

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye, Yellow Perch, and Green Sunfish in Cannon. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Cannon has a maximum depth of 15 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

Yes — Cannon has confirmed flowering rush. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.