Cedar

This survey used gill nets and electrofishing to evaluate Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch and Largemouth Bass fisheries and is an update from the last standard survey completed in 2015. Goals outlined in the management plan are, for the most part, meeting expectations for targeted species mentioned. We found Walleyes and Largemouth Bass doing very well and Northern Pike maintaining stable numbers without becoming too abundant. Yellow Perch on the other hand are very low in abundance which is of concern since they're a prey species important to Walleyes. Cedar Lake is primarily a bass/panfish lake which, in this area, are usually smaller in size, have decent water clarity and support a diversity of submerged aquatic plants. However, we often stock Walleyes in such lakes to provide bonus fisheries to anglers. This is the case for Cedar. A Walleye fingerling stocking in 2019 resulted in good numbers of 3-year old fish caught in our gill nets. These Walleyes were 17-20 inches in length which represents very good growth. Northern Pike often become overly abundant in Area lakes which can present several problems to the fish community. At this time, we don't see this problem in Cedar. Average individual size of pike however is less than 21 inches which is not the best from an angler's viewpoint. There are occasional fish exceeding 30 inches but for now, the best news related to pike is that they're not overly abundant. Less competition for Walleyes and the potential for perch to come back to a healthier level may be realized. Largemouth Bass have always been present in reasonably good numbers in Cedar Lake which is the case in several other Area lakes similar in size and type. Individual size however is generally on the smaller side with the majority of bass sampled measuring less than 15 inches. Near-shore habitat for bass and panfish is good so the lake is expected to sustain healthy numbers for now and into the future. While Bluegills and crappies were not targeted with the gear used in this survey, past trap net surveys indicate healthy populations of both species especially Bluegill. In addition, crappies seem to be readily caught in gill nets used in Cedar Lake dating back to the 1990s. Over the years, we have seen higher numbers caught recently than in the past. The average size is a little under 8 inches but maximum length is always around 11 inches. As far as Bluegills go, Cedar Lake has plenty exceeding 8 inches and individual growth rates are good. There is the potential for Cedar to develop into a trophy Bluegill fishery and for this reason, a special, 5-fish bag limit is in place to enhance the lake's ability to reach this goal. Anglers must abide by the regulation and are encouraged to release Bluegills over 9 inches. Doing so can greatly increase the chances of Cedar Lake becoming an excellent lake to catch large Bluegills.

A population estimate for Largemouth Bass was conducted in the fall of 2021 on Cedar Lake. Fish were captured via daytime electrofishing performed during five separate days from September 7 to October 14. A sampling effort using angling took place October 6th in an attempt to provide an additional gear type and reduce sampling bias. All bass 250 mm (about 10 inches) or greater were netted and marked with a partial left pelvic fin clip to provide for the mark-recapture estimate. Smaller bass were not netted, therefore catch rates and size structure comparisons cannot be made to electrofishing efforts from previous years. Electrofishing provided a sample of 259 measured fish and a catch rate of 51.6/hr. for bass 250 mm or larger. Angling produced a sample of 63 fish 250 mm or longer. Bass over 12 inches comprised 63.7% of the combined angling/electrofishing catch, though fish over 16 inches accounted for only about 1.6% of the total and only 1 fish exceeded 18 inches. Four of the five bass 16 inches or longer were caught by angling, as was the largest fish which was 18.3 inches. Mean length was 12.4 inches for electrofished bass and 12.7 inches for angled fish. The mark-recapture method produced a population estimate of 835 bass (6.0/acre) that were 250 mm or longer. Population estimates for Largemouth Bass have been conducted in the past on three other similar size lakes, Moose, Pierz Fish and Green Prairie Fish. Moose Lake was estimated to contain 2,495 bass 250 mm or longer (19.3/acre). The estimate for Pierz Fish Lake was 1,982 bass 250 mm or longer (10.5/acre) and the Green Prairie population was estimated at 1,467 bass 250 mm or longer (8.1/acre). The results for Cedar Lake suggest a somewhat lower density of bass than was found on the three lakes previously studied. The angling effort and electrofishing data collected during this project suggest the lake supports a moderate number of bass, with the bulk of the fish in the 12-14 inch range. The fish were willing biters during the angling effort and a few larger fish up to 18 inches were caught. The only other fish netted during this population estimate was a Walleye that measured 20.5 inches. One Walleye was also caught angling but not measured as were a small number of Northern Pike.

Spring Trap netting was performed May 24-26 and June 7-9 to provide pre-regulation data on the Bluegill size structure. A bag limit of 5 sunfish was implemented on March 1, 2021 as Cedar Lake was selected for participation in the statewide Quality Sunfish Initiative. The objective of the lowered bag limit is to reduce sunfish harvest and allow for more fish to attain larger sizes (8-10 inches). Data collected during this survey is considered pre-regulation data due to the short time period since the inception of the reduced bag limit. Spring trap netting is the preferred method for evaluating panfish populations and has been conducted on the lake three previous times since 2003. Several future evaluations relating to the 5 sunfish bag limit are planned over the 10 year evaluation period and will incorporate spring trap netting to provide proper comparisons. Spring trap netting in 2021 captured 280 Bluegill. This sample size was typical for Bluegill in Cedar Lake as previous spring sample sizes have ranged from 208-384 fish. Bluegill in 2021 ranged from 2.9 - 10.24 inches and mean length was 6.89 inches. Many of the Bluegill were of sizes desired by anglers, as fish over 7 inches comprised 58% of the catch and fish greater than 8 inches made up 18% of the sample. Eight fish over 9 inches were measured (2.9% of sample). Bluegill 10 inches or greater had not been observed prior to 2021. Bluegill size structure goals developed for the Quality Sunfish Initiative aim for at least 50% of the sample to exceed 7 inches, 20% to exceed 8 inches, 5% over 9 inches and the persistent presence of fish 10 inches or longer. Whether voluntary or required due to the reduced bag limit, release of larger sunfish, especially fish over 9 inches will be important if the lake is to realize its potential in reaching management goals. Additional criteria that may be used to measure success of the reduced sunfish bag limit include: mean size, catch rate of fish over 8 inches, and mean length of the top 10% of fish. When combining the four pre-regulation spring trap net surveys mean size is 6.7 inches, mean catch rate of fish over 8 inches is 1.8/net, and mean length of the top 10% is 8.39 inches. Bluegill grow well in Cedar Lake, reaching 6.9 inches in length by Age 5. Black Crappie spring trap net catches can vary considerably due to sampling conditions, and the Cedar Lake catches have demonstrated this variability. Spring trap net catches crappies in Cedar Lake have ranged from 0 in 2003 to 85 in 2021. The comparatively large sample of 85 fish in 2021 ranged in length from 6.5 to 13.2 inches, mean length was 9.35 inches with 33% of the sample 10 inches or longer. A nice proportion of the crappies currently in Cedar Lake are in the 9-10.5 inch range which should be attractive to anglers. The crappie bag limit remains at 10 fish. Spring trap netting captured 132 Hybrid Sunfish and 70 Pumpkinseed. Quality size was evident in the measured samples of both species as 62% of the Hybrid Sunfish exceeded 7 inches and 33% were over 8 inches. Maximum length of Hybrids was 8.7 inches while maximum length of Pumpkinseeds was 8.8 inches. Thirty percent of Pumpkinseeds were 7 inches or longer and 7% exceeded 8 inches.

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

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

Cedar has a maximum depth of 28 feet and a mean depth of 14.9 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

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