Virginia

Virginia (Baileys) Lake is a 32 acre lake located in the northwest part of the city of Virginia. There is no designated access however there is a fishing pier on the north side of the lake and shore fishing is possible around most of the lake. This lake has a maximum depth of 44 feet and clear water. Virginia was thermally stratified on July 7, 2020 with a surface temperature of 79 F and a bottom temperature of 40 F. Oxygen levels were adequate for gamefish to a depth of 22 feet where the temperature was 51 F. An outlet connects Virginia to Silver Lake which allows for fish passage but is not passable by boat. Lake bottom substrates along the shoreline are mostly gravel, sand, and boulder. There are extremely dense beds of aquatic vegetation along parts of the shoreline and additional vegetation growth to a maximum depth of 12 feet. The overall gillnet catch rate for all fish combined was 17.0 fish/net which was below average for the lake. The yield was 22.1 lbs/net, which was also below average. Fish species sampled were northern pike, bluegill, pumpkinseed, largemouth bass, black crappie, walleye, and white sucker. Trap nets caught fish at an overall rate of 65.1 fish/net which was below average for the lake and yield was 6.8 lbs/net which was the lowest on record. This survey was conducted later in the summer than past surveys which made netting more difficult due to the amount of aquatic vegetation that had already grown up. This may have been a factor in the lower catches. Brown bullhead, golden shiner, hybrid sunfish, rock bass, and yellow perch were additional species sampled in trap nets that weren't also sampled in gill nets. One walleye was sampled in the two gillnet sets (0.5 fish/net) and four were caught in the trap nets (0.4 fish/net). Both catch rates were similar to past catch rates from Virginia Lake. Sizes were good with the lengths of all five fish ranging from 20 to 23 inches and one 22 inch fish was aged to be 8 years old. The low numbers of walleye and lack of a wider range of sizes indicate natural reproduction and stocking have not contributed much to the walleye fishery, especially in recent years. The lake is stocked with fingerling walleye in odd years (2015, 2017, 2019, etc). The northern pike gillnet catch was 6.5 fish/net which was average compared to past surveys but good when compared to other similar lakes. Sizes were relatively small with a range from 16 to 27 inches with an average of just over 21 inches. Three largemouth bass were captured in gill nets for a catch rate of 1.5 fish/net which was very good compared to other similar lakes and the highest on record for Virginia Lake. Lengths ranged from 13 to 18.5 inches. Sizes were generally larger than past surveys. Ages ranged from six to ten years old. Thirteen black crappie were sampled in trap nets for a catch rate of 1.4 fish/net which was below average compared to other similar lakes and below Virginia's historic average. Lengths ranged from 5 to 10 inches with an average 6.5 inches. Sizes were similar to past surveys. Ages ranged from two to six. The bluegill trapnet catch was 56.9 fish/net which was very good compared to other similar lakes and near the historic average for Virginia Lake. Sizes were small with a range of 3.5 to nearly 8 inches and an average of just over 4 inches. This average length was the smallest on record when compared to past surveys on Virginia Lake. Rusty crayfish, which are an invasive species, were sampled for the first time in Virginia Lake when two were caught in trap nets. They were first sampled in 2010 in connected Silver Lake. Two were also sampled in the 2020 Silver Lake survey.

Virginia Lake is a 32-acre lake with a maximum depth of 44 feet located within the city limits of Virginia in central St. Louis County. Most of the shoreline is owned by the city of Virginia and accessible to anglers. There is a public fishing pier on the north side of the lake extending out to water that is 30 feet deep. Boats and canoes are allowed on the lake. Outboard motors are not allowed on Virginia Lake by city ordinance, but electric motors are allowed. There is a fish consumption advisory on Silver Lake (www.mndnr.gov/Lakefinder). The lake is well-known for its abundant bluegill population. Based on the 2010 assessment, anglers can expect to catch bluegill up to eight inches long. It takes eight years to grow an eight inch bluegill in Virginia Lake. There is a black crappie fishery in Virginia Lake, but it has been declining in numbers. Crappie up to 10 inches have been sampled by DNR personnel. Other panfish species are yellow perch, rock bass, and pumpkinseed. Perch up to nine inches were sampled. There is an abundant, high quality northern pike fishery in Virginia Lake. In 2010, pike abundance was higher than past assessments and other area lakes. In 2010, pike sampled ranged in length from 17 to 42 inches with an average length of 23 inches. Five different year classes were identified. An occasional walleye can be caught in Virginia Lake. DNR personnel stock walleye on odd numbered years.

Virginia Lake is in Ecological Lake Class 11, which consists of 49 small lakes in northeast Minnesota. Virginia Lake is smaller, has clearer and harder (more mineralized) water, and is more bowl-shaped than average for this lake class. Virginia Lake ranks as mesotrophic, according to Carlson's Trophic State Index.Virginia Lake was thermally stratified on 09/02/2003 with a surface temperature of 68 F and a bottom temperature of 39 F. Adequate oxygen for fish (more than 2 ppm) was retained to a depth of 15 ft, where the temperature was 66 F. There is an inlet that drains mining lands to the north. Fish spawning has been reported (but not confirmed) where this inlet enters the lake. There are several stormwater culverts from the City of Virginia that also enter the lake. The outlet to adjacent Silver Lake has no barrier to fish movement. Lake bottom substrates along the shoreline are mostly gravel, sand, and silt. Aquatic plants grow to a depth of 13 ft; the most common plants are muskgrass, sago pondweed, flatstem pondweed, and Canada waterweed.Fish sampling during this fish population assessment consisted of two gillnets and nine trapnets. Six previous fisheries investigations, dating back to 1969, used 1-2 gillnets. Five of these previous investigations, dating back to 1981, used 4-11 trapnets. Shoreline seining was done in the 1981 investigation and small mesh trapnetting was done in the 1998 investigation.Fish populations in 2003 were dominated by bluegill sunfish and northern pike, followed by white sucker, walleye, and yellow perch.Bluegill numbers in trapnets in 2003 (57.7/net) were in the fourth quartile for this lake class and were near the median catch of 55.3/net in all investigations on this lake. Although trapnet catches of bluegill generally decline as the summer progresses, the numbers of bluegill captured in 2003 were similar to previous catches even though the date of the netting (September 2) was more than two months later than in previous investigations, which were all done in late June. The implication is that, due to the timing of trapnetting in 2003, the bluegill population may have increased even though the 2003 trapnet catch was similar to previous catches. Although mean lengths of bluegill also decline as the summer progresses, the mean length of bluegill in the trapnets in 2003 (5.4") were similar to bluegill mean lengths in the four most recent investigations from 1986 through 1998. The mean length in 2003 was in the first quartile for this lake class. Only in the initial trapnetting in 1981 were bluegill larger, with a mean length of 6.8". In contrast, the largest bluegill in 2003 was 6.8".Most bluegill captured in the trapnets in 2003 were age five (21 percent) or age six (61 percent). Growth of bluegill captured in 2003 was slower than normal (in the first or second quartiles, depending on the age) by area standards. Bluegill numbers in gillnets have increased over time. A total of two bluegill were captured in gillnets in five investigations from 1969 through 1994. The 1998 investigation captured 12.0/gillnet, and the 2003 investigation captured 96.0/gillnet. The 1969 and 2003 investigations were both done in September, while the other five investigations were done in late June.Northern pike numbers in 2003 (6.5/gillnet) were in the fourth quartile for this lake class and were higher than the median catch of 3.0/gillnet in all investigations on this lake. Gillnet catches of pike have been quite variable in this lake, ranging from none caught in 1981 and 1986, to 13.5/gillnet in 1989. Pike sizes in 2003 averaged 23.9" (3.1 lb), which was in the third quartile for this lake class and was similar to the average size of 24.5" in all investigations on this lake. The largest pike in 2003, captured in a trapnet, was 33.5". Pike scales were used for age and growth analysis in 2003 and were difficult to read. Twelve of 13 pike captured in gillnets were age two. Growth of pike captured in 2003 was faster than normal (in the fourth quartile) by area standards.White sucker numbers in 2003 (5.5/gillnet) were in the third quartile for this lake class and were at the median for all investigations on this lake. Sucker sizes in 2003 averaged 17.4", which was in the fourth quartile for this lake class and was larger than the average length of 13.9" in all investigations on this lake.Walleye were not native to Virginia Lake and adjacent Silver Lake and were stocked in the 1960's and periodically from the 1980's to the present time. Walleye numbers in 2003 (2.5/gillnet) were in the second quartile for this lake class and were higher than the median catch of 2.0/gillnet in all investigations since walleye were first caught in Virginia Lake in 1986 or in adjacent Silver Lake in 1981. Walleye sizes in 2003 averaged 18.2" (2.1 lb), which was in the third quartile for this lake class and was larger than the average size of 16.7" in all investigations on this lake. The largest walleye captured in 2003 was 24.0". Walleye scales were used for age and growth analysis in 2003 and were moderately difficult to read. All nine walleye captured in gillnets and trapnets in 2003 appeared to be from stocked year classes. Growth of walleye captured in 2003 was normal by area standards. Yellow perch numbers in gillnets and trapnets have been quite variable over time. The lowest catches of perch in gillnets occurred in 1969 (3.0/net) and in 2003 (4.5/net). Both of these investigations were done in September, when perch catches are generally lower than earlier in the summer. Gillnet catches of perch peaked in 1994 at 176/net. Perch sizes in the gillnets in 2003 averaged 6.6", which was in the first quartile for this lake class and was larger than the average size of 6.2" in all investigations on this lake. The largest perch captured in gillnets was 6.9". Perch scales were used for age and growth analysis and were difficult to read. Perch growth appeared to be slower than normal (in the first quartile) by area standards.The lowest catches of perch in trapnets also occurred in 1969 (1.5/net) and 2003 (1.7/net). As with gillnets, perch catches in trapnets are usually lower in the fall, when these two investigations were done. Trapnet catches of perch peaked in 1994, at 53.0/net. Perch sizes in trapnets in 2003 averaged 7.1", which was at the median for this lake class and was larger than the average size of 6.6" in all investigations on this lake. The largest perch captured in trapnets was 9.7".A few largemouth bass were captured in 2003, but are probably more abundant than indicated by gillnet and trapnet catches, as bass are known to be "net shy" and difficult to sample with standard netting gear. Anglers on the lake report that bass are regularly caught.The game fish examined in 2003 had very few diseases or parasites, with only a few fish infected with neascus or yellow grubs. This is in contrast to 1998, when many of the bluegill, pike, and perch were infected with neascus. Neascus (black spot) and yellow grubs are common parasites that are native to the area. They cannot infect humans, are often removed by filleting, and are killed at temperatures used to cook fish.

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

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

Virginia has a maximum depth of 44 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Virginia is from 2020.

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