Juergens

An electrofishing survey targeting Bluegill and Black Crappie was completed on June 4, 2018. Juergens Lake supports large Bluegills and this survey was intended to gain better insight into population size structure so that future management strategies can be better planned. Bluegills were captured at a rate of 89.5 fish/hour. The proportion of the catch measuring over seven and eight inches was 38 and 3 percent, respectively. The largest Bluegill captured was 8.8 inches. A total of 41 crappies were also captured ranging in size from 4-11 inches. The average length was 7.2 inches. Juergens Lake does not have a public boat ramp.

BASED ON SELECTIVE NET CATCH DATA AND ECOLOGICAL L AKE CLASSIFICATION, THE FISH POPULATION OF JUERGEN S LAKE CAN BE DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: THE NORTHERN PIKE POPULATION IS HIGH (11.75/S ET) WHICH IS ABOVE THE 3RD QUARTILE OF 7.62/SET. MEAN SIZE IS AVERAGE AT 1.91 POUNDS AND GROWTH RAT ES ARE NORMAL. AGE GROUPS I THRU VII WERE REPRE SENTED IN THE NET CATCH. NO PULATION WAS NOTED SINCE THE 1985 SURVEY. THE WALLEYE NET CATCH CONSISTED OF THREE FISH IN COMPARISON TO THE SINGLE FISH CAPTURED IN 1985 . THIS CATCH IS CONSIDERED NORMAL FOR THIS LAKE C LASS. AVERAGE SIZE WAS LARGE AS THE FISH RANGED I N LENGTH FROM 14.9 TO 23.9 INCHES. AGE GROUPS IV AND VI WERE FOUND &LIKELY RESULTED FROM NATURAL RE PRODUCTION IN THE SAUK RIVER SYSTEM. NO WALLEYE HAVE BEEN STOCVKED IN THE LAKE. A HIGH POPULATION OF BLUEGILLS IS EVIDENT AND THEY ARE AVERAGE IN MEAN SIZE. THE RECENT NET C ATCH WAS NEARLY FIVE TIMES HIGHER THAN IN 1985 WH ILE THE MEAN WEIGHT DECLINED FROM 0.47 POUNDS IN 1 985 TO 0.22 POUNDS IN 1990. THE MEDIAN LENGTH GRO UP ALSO CHANGED FROM 7.5-7.9 INCHES TO 6.0-6.4 IN THE RESPECTIVE YEARS. FISH SMAPLED RANGED IN LENG TH FROM 3.0 TO 7.4 INCHES SUGGESTING THE PRESENCE OF SEVERAL YEAR CLASSES. THE BLACK CRAPPIE NET CATCH INCREASED NEARLY SEVEN TIMES THE NUMBER RECORDED IN 1985. HOWEVER, THE POPULATION IS STILL CONSIDERED AVERAGE IN NUM BER. MEAN SIZE IS IN THE NORMAL RANGE AT 0.24 POU NDS, WITH LENTGHS RANGING FROM 5.0 TO 8.4 INCHES. YELLOW PERCH NUMBERS ARE HIGH AND REMAIN VERY NEAR THE LEVELS FOUND IN 1985. AVERAGE SIZE OF T HE FISH IS NORMAL AND NUMEROUS AGE GROUPS ARE EVI DENCED BY THE WIDE RANGE OF LENGTHS FOUND IN THE S AMPLE (5.5 TO 11.4 INCHES). ONLY TWO LARGEMOUTH BASS WERE CAUGHT BY LAKE SURVEY GEAR. THIS SPECIES IS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO A SSESS USING THIS GEAR AND LOW CATCHES MAY NOT BE INDICATIVE OF ABNORMALLY LOW POPULATIONS. PUMPKINSEED NUMBERS ARE HIGH AND THE NET CATC H HAS INCREASED SEVEN-FOLD SINCE 1985. AVERAGE SI ZE OF THESE FISH IS NORMAL. WHITE SUCKER AND YELLOW BULLHEAD POPULATIONS ARE ALSO HIGH WITH BOTH SPECIES DISPLAYING A WIDE RANGE OF SIZES. AVERAGE SIZE IS LARGE FOR BOTH SP ECIES. BOWFIN AND BLACK BULLHEAD ARE FOUND IN AVERAG E NUMBERS, WHILE COMMON CARP AND BROWN BULLHEAD OC CUR IN LOW NUMBERS. HYBRID SUNFISH WERE ALSO PRES ENT IN THE NET CATCH.

VERY LOW WALLEYE POPULATION. FAIRLY HIGH NORTHERN PIKE POPULATION, ABOVE AVERAGE SIZE AND SOME LARGE FISH PRESENT. SLIGHTLY ABOVE STATE AVERAGE BLUE- GILLS, LARGE FISH PRESENT. BLACK CRAPPIES POPU- LATION QUITE HIGH, VERY NICE SIZE. YELLOW PERCH HIGH, WIDE RANGE OF SIZES. BULLHEAD POPULATION HIGHER THAN STATE AVERAGE FOR YELLOW AND BLACK BULLHEADS, BUT NOT A PROBLEM. WHITE SUCKER POPU- LATION WAS QUITE HIGH AND LARGE IN SIZE. LARGE- MOUTH BASS WERE NOT SAMPLED IN THIS SURVEY.

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

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Juergens. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

Juergens has a maximum depth of 22 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Juergens is from 2018. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

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