Thole

Thole is a shallow, productive 119-acre lake located south of Shakopee in Scott County. It is bordered to the east by Lake O'Dowd and to the south by Schneider Lake. Before development, all three lakes were broadly connected but are now divided by paved roads. Thole has a maximum depth of 12 feet and early-August water clarity of 2.5 ft. During open-water months, a fishing pier, integrated into the DNR-owned public access, is maintained for use. During the winter, an aerator is operated by the O'Dowd Lake Chain Association. Thole is infested with Eurasian watermilfoil. A standard survey consisting of gill nets, trap nets, and boat electrofishing was conducted in 2023 to characterize the gamefish community. Thole is managed for its naturally reproducing Northern Pike and Largemouth Bass populations, and both species were abundant in 2023. Northern Pike lengths ranged from 17.6 to 29.7 inches, with an average of 23.3 inches and 2.81 pounds. Forty-two percent of the Northern Pike sampled in 2023 exceeded 24 inches, so good harvest opportunity is available. Largemouth Bass lengths ranged from 6.8 to 19.9 inches, and 33% of the catch exceeded 16 inches. Bluegill were abundant in the 2023 survey, but size tended to be small. Only 23% of the catch exceeded 6 inches, and the largest fish 7.7 inches. Black Crappie abundance was lower than average, but good sized fish were found. Black Crappie lengths ranged from 4.8 to 11.2 inches, and 15% of the population exceeded 9 inches.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Thole Lake was conducted on June 20-22, 2023 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all ten sampling stations, but one station was sampled from the boat due to site conditions. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample seven stations, a 15-foot seine was used to sample one station, and site conditions prevented the use of seines at two stations. Nearshore sampling captured seven species of fish. A concurrent summer trap net survey was conducted by IBI Program Staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline and in shallow offshore locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Bluegill, Black Crappie, and Pumpkinseed comprised a majority of the trap net catch by number and Bluegill comprised a majority of the catch by biomass. The number of Bluegill sampled per net was above the 50% quartile for similar Lake Class 28 lakes and the average length was 5.7 inches, with 21% over 7 inches. The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from an August 2023 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Data from this survey indicates Thole Lake has a FIBI score above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar shallow lakes. These results are similar to the previous assessment which determined Thole Lake fully supported aquatic life use based on the FIBI. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Lower Minnesota River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Thole is a shallow, productive 105-acre lake located south of Shakopee in Scott County. It is bordered to the east by Lake O'Dowd and to the south by Schneider Lake. Before development, all three lakes were broadly connected; as of this survey, connections are through culverts under paved roads. Thole has a maximum depth of 12 feet and early-August water clarity of 1.0 ft. During open-water months, a fishing pier, integrated into the DNR-owned public access, is maintained for use. During most winters, an aerator is run by the O'Dowd Lake Chain Association. Thole is infested with Eurasian watermilfoil. A standard survey consisting of gill nets and trap nets was conducted in 2018 to characterize the gamefish community. Northern Pike were abundant in 2018, and a broad range of sizes were present in the sample. Lengths ranged from 17.6 to 33.5 inches, with an average size of 23.8 inches and 3.12 pounds. In 2018, a new regulation for Northern Pike took effect. As part of the Southern management zone, anglers are allowed to harvest up to two Northern Pike, with a minimum size of 24 inches. Thirty-eight percent of the Northern Pike sampled in 2018 exceeded 24 inches, so good harvest opportunity is available. Bluegill were also abundant in 2018, and harvestable fish are present. Twenty percent of the sampled fish exceeded 6 inches. Although boat electrofishing was not conducted in 2018, Largemouth Bass were present in the gill net and trap net samples. Gill netting and trap netting does not effectively sample Largemouth Bass; however, an 18.5-inch bass was caught. There is likely a healthy Largemouth Bass population in the lake.

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

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

Thole has a maximum depth of 12 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

Yes — Thole has confirmed Eurasian watermilfoil. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.