Long

Spring Trap netting was performed May 24-26 to provide pre-regulation data on the Bluegill size structure. A bag limit of 5 sunfish was implemented on March 1, 2021 as Long 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). Information 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 four 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 274 Bluegill. Sample sizes for Bluegill in Long Lake have ranged from 216 to 604 fish over the five historical efforts. Bluegill in 2021 ranged from 3.3 - 9.1 inches and mean length was 6.77 inches. Many of the fish were of sizes desired by anglers, as Bluegill over 7 inches comprised 51% of the catch and fish greater than 8 inches made up 13% of the sample. Only two fish over 9 inches were measured. Bluegill 10 inches or greater have not been observed in any spring trap net efforts. Prior to 2016 Bluegill over 8 inches comprised from 1-5% of the catches and fish 9 inches or longer were absent. 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 and 3% over 9 inches. 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 top 10% of fish. When combining the five pre-regulation spring trap net surveys mean size is 5.98 inches, mean catch rate of fish over 8 inches is 1.8/net, and mean length of the top 10% is 7.90 inches. Aging conducted in 2020 showed that Bluegill displayed good growth, reaching 7 inches at Age 5. Spring trap nets have produced Black Crappie catches that have ranged from 18 to 112 fish since this type of sampling began in 2003. The 2021 effort provided a sample of 50 fish ranging from 3.1 to 13.4 inches in length. Fish 10 inches or longer comprised 10% of the catch and mean length was 7.62 inches. Crappies 12 inches or better have been regularly sampled in spring trap net assessments and crappies 13 inches or longer were also present going back to 2003. The crappie bag limit remains at 10 fish.

Long Lake is a 104 acre bass/panfish lake located near Sauk Centre, MN. It is broadly connected to Lily Lake where public access can be gained. Access facilities are somewhat limited as launching is done off of a gravel road and no dock or concrete ramp is present. A five (5) fish bag limit on sunfish is scheduled for implementation on March 1, 2021 as Long Lake has been selected for participation in the statewide Quality Sunfish Initiative. The lower bag limit is intended to reduce the harvest of sunfish while improving the sizes of sunfish available to anglers. The goal is to have the lake produce more 7 to 9 inch sunfish which are most desired by anglers. Evaluations of lakes that have had similar reduced bag limits for several years have shown that most respond favorably and produce larger sunfish. Daytime electrofishing was performed on May 27, 2020 to provide pre-regulation data on the Bluegill size structure. Spring trap netting is the preferred method for evaluating Bluegill populations, however electrofishing was employed due to staff/time shortages resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. Future evaluations relating to the 5 sunfish bag limit will incorporate trap netting to provide proper comparisons. Electrofishing appeared to be a moderately efficient sampling method with 152 fish captured in just over ¼ hour of on-time. Bluegill appeared to be just in the initial phase of spawning or pre-spawn. Electrofished Bluegill ranged from 3.3 - 8.8 inches in length with most length groups well represented up to 8 inches. Fish over 7 inches comprised 14% of the catch and quality size Bluegill were poorly represented with fish over 8 inches making up just 1.3% of the sample. Otoliths were extracted from a sample of Bluegills for aging purposes. Long Lake Bluegills displayed good growth with 5 year old fish averaging 7.0 inches and sustained growth past the 8 inch range. Previous spring trap net surveys were conducted in 2003, 2009, 2013 and 2016. Trap nets have provided larger sample sizes of 220 to 604 fish. The 2016 spring trap net assessment results showed the most desirable Bluegill size structure with 28% of the catch over 7 inches, more than 7% greater than 8 inches and fish over 9 inches present for the first time. Maximum length was 9.45 inches. Bluegill over 7 inches in previous trap net efforts comprised 8-11% of the catch. While fishing for sunfish it is best to limit your harvest of the large individuals, especially the males. The large males exhibit the best growth rates and also inhibit smaller and slower growing males from spawning. Studies have shown that it is important for sunfish to use their resources for growth instead of reproduction at younger ages and smaller sizes. Male Bluegill can usually be discerned from females by their brighter coloration and darker orange bellies. Black Crappie were spawning in good numbers in several locations and would have made easy sampling targets if warranted. Largemouth Bass were also commonly observed on beds.

Long Lake (DOW# 77-0357-00; Lake Class 34) is a 104 acre lake located near Little Sauk, Minnesota. Long Lake can be accessed through a channel from Lily Lake. Long Lake has 2.66 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 35 feet. DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Long Lake is in Lake Class 34; lakes in this class are generally have a high amount of water less than 15 feet deep, turbid, and are a very irregular shape. Long Lake should be a top destination for panfish anglers in the Little Falls area. It has both good numbers and size for Bluegill and Black Crappie. Bluegill up to 9 inches and Black Crappie up to 14 inches were sampled. While anglers may have a tough time finding larger Northern Pike, there should be plenty of harvest opportunities of fish between 20-22 inches. Other fish species that anglers can expect to encounter include Bowfin (Dogfish), Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Yellow Bullhead, and Yellow Perch. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Curly Leaf Pondweed has been identified in Long Lake. AIS are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local natural resource office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Little Falls Area Fisheries office.

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

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

Long has a maximum depth of 35 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Long is from 2016. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

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