Pfeiffer

Pfeiffer Lake is a 60 acre lake located 10 miles west of Tower. It is accessed by a concrete ramp and has a US Forest Service Campground located on the north and east sides of the lake. The lake is surrounded mostly by public land, except one small area on the west shore that is in private ownership. The lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet and at the time of this survey the water color was clear. On June 28, 2022, the lake was thermally stratified with a surface temperature of 70 F and a bottom temperature of 50 F. Oxygen levels were adequate for gamefish to a depth of 17 feet where the temperature was 55 F. Lake bottom substrates along the shoreline are mostly rubble, gravel, and sand with muck in the bays. Pfeiffer is currently being stocked every third year with walleye fingerlings. The overall gillnet catch rate for all fish combined was 59.3 fish/net which was the second highest catch rate on record for the lake. Fish species sampled were yellow perch, largemouth bass, bluegill, and walleye. Trap nets caught fish at an overall rate of 43.3 fish/net which was very close to the average overall catch rate for the lake. Black crappie were the only additional species sampled in trap nets that weren't also sampled in gill nets. Five walleye were sampled in gill nets for a catch rate of 1.7 fish/net, which was the lowest on record for the lake but not far off the average when compared to other similar lakes. Walleye lengths ranged from 16 to 21.5 inches with an average of nearly 18 inches. Six additional walleye were captured in trap nets. Their sizes were larger than the gillnetted fish with a range from 16 to 28.5 inches and an average of just over 24 inches. Only the five fish captured in the gill nets were used for aging. Three fish were age-4 and two were age-7. All came from fingerling stocked years. Thirty-two largemouth bass were sampled in trap nets for a catch rate of 3.6 fish/net which was better than average for the lake, and quite good when compared to other similar lakes. Ten additional fish were sampled in the gill nets. Combining the catches from both gear types, lengths ranged from 5 to 15 inches with an average of nearly 8 inches. Growth rates were average with a four-year-old fish measuring 10 inches. Twenty-one black crappie were sampled in trap nets for a catch rate of 2.3 fish/net. This was just below average compared to other similar lakes but right at the average historic catch rate for Pfeiffer Lake. Lengths ranged from 4.5 to just over 10 inches with an average of over 8 inches. Ages ranged from 2 to 4 years old. Growth was exceptional with the average crappie nearing 10 inches at age-4. The bluegill trapnet catch was 36.8 fish/net which was very good compared to other similar lakes, but slightly below average for Pfeiffer Lake. Sizes ranged from 3.5 to just over 10 inches with an average of 6.5 inches. Seventeen individuals measured longer than nine inches. Ages ranged from 3 to 12 years with strong representation (nearly 77% of the total catch) coming from the 2018 year class. Growth rates were average when compared to other bluegill populations in the Tower area. The yellow perch gillnet catch rate was 52.7 fish/net which was the second highest on record for the lake. Lengths ranged from 6 to nearly 13 inches with an average of 9 inches.

Pfeiffer Lake is located approximately 9 miles southwest of Tower within the Superior National Forest. Aside from the US Forest Service campground located on the east side of the lake there was only one cabin located on the west side. There is a concrete planked boat ramp located at the campground for access with a small parking lot adjacent. Several of the campsites have walk-down water access and there is a swimming beach located nearby. Seven species of fish were sampled during the 2017 survey of Pfeiffer Lake. Yellow perch (83%) dominated the gill net catch, while bluegill (93%) were by far the most abundant species in the trap net catch. Largemouth bass were targeted by night electrofishing and were also abundant, sampled at a rate of 186/hour. There is a low density walleye population currently present with some larger individuals in the population. Black crappie were sampled again in 2017 and their numbers indicate a population with low relative abundance. Walleye numbers in 2017 were below the historic average of 5.5/gill net but similar to other area lakes of this type. The average walleye sampled with the gill nets was 14 inches long and about 4 years old. The average walleye sampled in the trap nets was 21 inches long. The largest walleye sampled in 2017 was 30.4 inches long which is the largest individual sampled to date. Walleye fingerlings are currently being stocked triennially on Pfeiffer Lake with the most recent stocking completed in 2015. Largemouth bass were sampled with three methods in 2017. The average largemouth sampled by electrofishing was 10 inches long and about 5 years old. The largest bass measured in the survey was almost 19 inches long. Sixteen percent of the largemouth sampled with electrofishing were 12 inches or larger. Yellow perch numbers in 2017 (45.0/gill net) were well above the historic average (23.7/gill net) for this lake and greatly above average (2.6/gill net) when compared to other similar lakes in the area. The average perch sampled was 10.2 inches long and the largest perch measured 12.2 inches long. Sixty-two percent of the perch sampled were 10 inches or larger. Bluegill numbers in 2017 (40.8/trap net) were identical to the historic average and greater than average (10.3/trap net) compared to other similar area lakes. The average bluegill sampled was 7.4 inches long and about 7 years old. The largest bluegill sampled was 10.2 inches in length. Nineteen percent of the bluegill sampled were 8 inches or larger. Black crappie numbers in 2017 were below average compared to other similar area lakes with crappies however average crappie size was almost 10 inches long. Some fish were infected with black spot (Neascus) or yellow grub. Black spot and yellow grub are common parasites that are native to the area. Filleting can remove some of these parasites. The fillets are safe to eat when well cooked. More information can be found on the DNR website under "Fish Information".

Pfeiffer Lake is located approximately 9 miles southwest of Tower. It has a surface area of 57 acres and a maximum depth of 26 feet. There is a concrete ramp and dock located at the USFS campground. Lake bottom substrates along the shoreline of Pfeiffer Lake range from rubble to muck. Aquatic plants grow to a depth of 13 feet and are generally sparse with concentrations in the small bays. There are no inlets. The small outlet has a beaver dam that limits fish movement. Bluegill numbers in 2012 (25/trap net) were lower than the long term average for all assessments on this lake. The average bluegill sampled was 7 inches long and about six years old. The largest bluegill sampled was 9 inches long. Black crappie numbers in 2012 (2/trap net) were lower than the long term average for all assessments on this lake. Most crappie were less than six inches long and would be about three years old. The largest crappie sampled was almost 11 inches long. Walleye numbers in 2012 (4/gill net) were lower than the long term average for all assessments on this lake but still of moderate abundance. Most sampled walleye were aged to years that the lake was fingerling stocked, either in 2006 or 2009. Because of the two age classes, sizes grouped around 15 or 20 inches. The largest walleye sampled was 21 inches long. Largemouth bass and yellow perch were the only other fish species sampled in 2012. Yellow perch (25/gill net) were slightly higher than the long term average and the average length was 9 inches.

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

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

Pfeiffer has a maximum depth of 26 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Pfeiffer is from 2022.

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