Ann

Ann Lake is located in Sherburne County, five miles west of Zimmerman. The lake is 184 acres with a maximum depth of 26 feet. The watershed is small and is dominated by forest and the lake is lightly developed. The lake has excellent water quality and a diverse aquatic plant community. A public access is located on the northwest corner of the lake. A state forest campground and beach are located on the west side of the lake. A standard survey was completed in 2019 to update fisheries data last collected in 2011. The Northern Pike catch rate was higher than the last survey and above the expected range of values for lakes similar to Ann. Pike ranged in length from nine (9) to 36 inches with a mean length and weight of 22 inches and three (3) pounds. Largemouth bass were sampled by daytime electrofishing in May 2019. The catch rate was higher than the previous survey in 2011. Although the catch rate was below average for the Sauk Rapids Management Area, electrofishing was not possible in the shallow, heavily vegetated south basin, likely reducing the number sampled. Fifty-seven bass were sampled and ranged in length from seven (7) to 21 inches. Anglers should have opportunities to catch quality-sized bass as over half of the fish were longer than 15 inches. The number of bluegill was lower than in 2011, but still very high and well above the expected range of values for lakes similar to Ann. The average length was five (5) inches and the largest bluegill was seven (7) inches. Few Black Crappie were sampled in 2019. Past survey catch rates have also been consistently low and no crappies were sampled in the previous survey. Crappies ranged in length from seven (7) to nine (9) inches with an average length of eight (8) inches. Yellow Perch catch rates have also been consistently low and only one (1) perch was sampled measuring eight (8) inches. The catch rate was below the range of expected values for the lake class. Five (5) perch were sampled in the previous survey. Yellow Bullhead were again sampled in high numbers and were good-sized. Ann Lake has consistently supported Yellow Bullhead at rates exceeding the expected range of values for lake class. Anglers should have opportunities to catch quality-sized Yellow Bullhead as fish sampled ranged in length from six (6) to 15 inches with an average length of 11 inches. Other species sampled included: Black and Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, and Pumpkinseed.

Ann Lake is located in Sherburne County, five miles west of Zimmerman. The lake has a surface area of 184 acres and a maximum depth of 26 feet. The watershed is small and dominated by forest and the lake is lightly developed. The lake has excellent water quality and a diverse aquatic plant community. Northern pike, largemouth bass, and bluegill are present. A public access is located on the northwest corner of the lake. A state forest campground and beach are located on the west side of the lake. Ann Lake was surveyed in June 2011. Northern pike abundance was lower than the last survey in 2001, but still high and above the expected range for lakes similar to Ann. The average size was 21.5 inches and 2.5 pounds. The largest northern pike caught was 29.5 inches long. Northern pike growth was similar to other lakes statewide. Northern pike grew to 20 inches in five years. The percentage of northern pike longer than 24 inches was 22%. Largemouth bass were sampled by daytime electrofishing in May 2011. The catch rate was low, but most bass were larger than 15 inches. The average size was 16 inches and the largest bass caught was 18.5 inches. Electrofishing was not possible in the shallow, heavily vegetated, south basin, likely reducing the number caught. The number of bluegill was lower than in 2001, but still very high and well above the expected range for lakes similar to Ann. The average length was 5.5 inches and the largest bluegill was 8 inches. Bluegill grew slowly, reaching 6 inches in 7 years. Few yellow perch were caught in 2011 and no black crappie. Past survey catches have also been low for both species. Other species captured during the survey included: hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, and yellow bullhead.

Ann Lake is located in Sherburne County, four miles west of Zimmerman. The lake is 184 acres in size, has a maximum depth of 26 feet and a public access is located at the north end of the lake. The lake has good water quality and clarity and supports a diverse plant community. There is a history of winterkills and a winter aeration system has been used with limited success. The lake is managed for northern pike, largemouth bass and panfish.Northern pike were less abundant, but larger than in the 1989 survey; however, both the number of pike and their size were above average for this lake type. The average size of pike captured in gill nets was 22.6 inches and 2.7 pounds; the largest individual captured was 32.8 inches. Pike grew slowly in Ann Lake, likely due to their relatively high numbers and competition for food. Yellow perch are a favorite prey fish for pike, but very few were captured during the survey; perch abundance is probably limited by the high number of pike.Largemouth bass numbers and size from electrofishing were below average for the area and their growth was slow; however, the lake is difficult to sample and bass may be more abundant than these results indicate. The average length was 8.2 inches and the largest individual captured was 15.9 inches. In contrast, bluegill were highly abundant in the 2001 survey and higher than all previous surveys. Bluegill average size was 5.6 inches, the largest was 7.6 inches and growth was slow. Lower bluegill abundance would likely improve their size and growth. Few black crappie were captured and previous surveys have also shown low numbers.Anglers can help improve the fishery by selectively harvesting smaller pike (less than 24 inches) and releasing most bass. This may result in faster growth and a larger average size for northern pike and bluegill. Lakeshore owners can protect water quality and provide habitat for fish and wildlife by restoring and protecting shoreline in a natural condition.

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

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

Ann has a maximum depth of 26 feet and a mean depth of 7.9 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Ann is from 2019.

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