St. James

St. James Lake is a 252-acre, class 42 lake located in the City of St. James in Watonwan County. The Lake has a maximum depth of 15.4 ft. Winterkills in the mid-1990's suppressed gamefish populations, allowing rough fish to thrive, eventually changing the lake from a clear water state to a turbid state. In 2001, a rotenone reclamation was done on St. James Lake to eliminate rough fish populations, reestablish the clear water state, and reestablish gamefish populations. The project was successful; however, overtime non-desirable fish have made their way back into St. James Lake. St. James Lake is managed primarily for Largemouth Bass and Bluegill and secondarily for Walleye, Northern Pike, Black Crappie and Yellow Perch. A survey was conducted in the week of June 3, 2025 to monitor fish populations using gill nets and trap nets. Since the reclamation in 2001, Largemouth Bass catch rates have varied from 9.0 per hour (2011) to 394.0 per hour (2003) and have averaged 89.7 per hour since 2003. In 2025, the Largemouth Bass catch rate was 33.0 per hour, which is like catch rates observed in the last decade (9.0 to 40.5 per hour). Lengths of Largemouth Bass ranged from 3.8 to 21.2 inches and averaged 15.0 inches. The management goals was met because the catch rate exceeded 30.0 per hour. Bluegill catch rates in St. James Lake have varied from 1.3 per trap net in 2013 to 101.9 per trap net in 2003 and have averaged 31.2 per trap net since 1986. In 2025, the Bluegill catch rate was 6.3 per trap net, within the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (1.9 to 29.5 per trap net), but much lower than the 2021 catch rate of 84.1 per trap net. Bluegill lengths ranged from 4.8 to 8.6 inches and averaged 7.1 inches. Condition of Bluegill was high, as the mean relative weight was 97, indicating that forage is available. The management goal was not met because the desired catch rate was not attained (10.8 per trap net). Since the reclamation, Walleye catch rates have varied from 0.0 in 2017 to 13.3 in 2007 and have averaged 3.6 per gill net. In 2025, the Walleye catch rate was 1.0 per gill net, a decrease from the 2021 catch rate of 3.5 per gill net. Lengths of Walleye ranged from 8.3 to 24.0 inches and averaged 16.1 inches. Walleye stocking has been extensive at St. James Lake as fingerlings, yearlings or adults have been stocked annually since 2020, except for 2023. Stocking advance sized Walleye likely provides a quality put and take fishery at St. James Lake. St. James Lake continues to have an abundant Northern Pike population. The 2025 Northern Pike catch rate of 27.5 per gill net was the second highest catch rate at St James Lake, exceeding the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (1.5 to 7.0 per gill net). Since 2011, Northern Pike catch rates have ranged from 12.5 per gill net in 2021 to 31.3 per gill net in 2011. Northern Pike lengths ranged from 17.5 to 29.2 inches and averaged 22.1 inches. Twenty-six percent of the Northern Pike sampled were of a harvestable size (24.0-inch minimum length in the Southern Zone). The mean relative weight of Northern Pike was 89, which means that their condition is average, and they are foraging successfully. The management goal was met because a fishable population of Northern Pike was present. Yellow Perch catch rates have varied from 2.7 per gill net in 2003 to 67.3 per gill net in 2011 and have averaged 19.8 per gill net since 1986. In 2025, Yellow Perch was captured at a rate of 5.0 per gill net, which is near the lower end of expected catch rates for similar 42 lakes (3.0 per gill net). Lengths of Yellow Perch ranged from 4.9 to 9.5 inches and averaged 6.3 inches (PSD=13). The management goal was met because a fishable population of Yellow Perch was present. range of catch rates for class 42 lakes (1.5 to 14.7 per gill net) and is the second highest catch rate observed at St. James Lake. Historically, Black Crappie has occurred in low abundance except for a high catch rate in 1999. Lengths of Black Crappie were small, ranging in length from 5.0 to 10.5 inches and averaging 6.5 inches (PSD=10). The management goal was met because a fishable population of Black Crappie was present. One Channel Catfish was sampled in 2021, marking the first time that one was sampled since before the reclamation in 2001. No Channel Catfish were sampled in 2025. Common Carp have been observed during various electrofishing surveys in recent years. In 2021, three Common Carp were captured during the electrofishing survey, the first documented sample since the 2021 reclamation. In 2025, The gill net catch rate of Common Carp was 8.5, providing evidence that natural reproduction occurred in St. James Lake. Twenty years of keeping Common Carp out of the lake would likely be considered a success by most fisheries professionals. Other species sampled included Black Bullhead.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in St. James Lake was conducted on June 20-21, 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 or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at ten sampling stations, but one station was sampled from the boat due to site conditions. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample six stations, a 15-foot seine was used at three stations, and site conditions prevented the use of seines at one station. Nearshore sampling captured eight species of fish, none of which intolerant of and three that are tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Black Bullhead, Common Carp, and Green Sunfish). A concurrent summer trap net survey was also conducted by IBI Program staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline in locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Trap net sampling captured eight species of fish, including one that is tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Black Bullhead). Bluegill comprised a majority of the catch by number and by biomass. The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from a May 2021 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, Least Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Black Bullhead and 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. Results from this survey provide evidence that the fish community in St. James Lake is adversely impacted by stressors, as indicated by an FIBI score near the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. These results are similar to previous survey findings, which indicated that St. James Lake is vulnerable to impairment for aquatic life use. These results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Watonwan River Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

A targeted survey of the nearshore fish community in St. James Lake was conducted by Fisheries Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff from 15-16 June 2022. Ten sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 15-foot or 50-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all ten sites with two sites sampled from the boat due to deep and soft sediments. A 50-foot seine was used to sample eight sites and soft sediments with abundant vegetation and deep water prevented the use of seines at two sampling sites. Nearshore sampling captured 7 native species of fish none of which are intolerant of disturbance and two species (Black Bullhead and Green Sunfish) that are tolerant of disturbance. The nearshore data were combined with gill net and trap net data from a June 2021 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., Black Bullhead, Fathead Minnow, and 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. Results from this survey indicate the fish community of St. James Lake is affected by disturbance as indicated by an FIBI score very near to the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. The results are similar to a previous assessment, which also had FIBI scores near the impairment threshold. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Watonwan River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Black Crappie, and Green Sunfish in St. James. 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 St. James. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

St. James has a maximum depth of 15.4 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in St. James is from 2025.

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