Lake information report

Name: Mina (Berglins)

Nearest Town: Alexandria Primary County: Douglas Survey Date: 07/24/2006 Inventory Number: 21010800

Purchase a walleye stamp. Your voluntary contribution will be used to support walleye stocking.

Public Access Information

Lake Characteristics

Fish Sampled for the 2006 Survey Year

Length of Selected Species Sampled for the 2006 Survey Year

Fish Stocking Activity

Fish Stocked by Species for the Last Ten Years

Fish Consumption Guidelines

These fish consumption guidelines help people make choices about which fish to eat and how often. Following the guidelines enables people to reduce their exposure to contaminants while still enjoying the many benefits from fish.

Pregnant Women, Women who may become pregnant and Children under age 15

General Population

DOWID - MN DNR, Divion of Waters' lake ID number.

Contaminants listed were measured at levels high enough to warrant a recommendation to limit consumption.

Listing of consumption guidelines do not imply the fish are legal to keep, MN DNR fishing regulations should be consulted.

Dioxin
Mercury
PCBS - Polychlorinated biphenyls
PFOS - Perfluorooctane sulfanate

Status of the Fishery (as of 07/24/2006)

Lake Mina is a deep 424-acre basin located approximately four miles west of Alexandria. Maximum depth is 123 feet. Mean depth is 28 ft. Water quality and clarity are excellent. Lake Mina is morphologically diverse with separated basins, shallow bays, flats, and sharp drop-off along the north shoreline. Most of the lake has an emergent vegetation fringe of cattail and hardstem bulrush. Shallow areas have healthy stands of submergent vegetation dominated by Chara. Due to great habitat diversity and quality, Lake Mina supports an equally diverse fish community. Sixteen fish species were captured during the 2006 fish community assessment. Various deviations in catch rates and size distribution from that of prior surveys introduces some uncertainty in accuracy of 2006 survey findings. It is suspected that exceptionally high water temperature during the 2006 survey may have stimulated gamefishes, particularly adult gamefishes, to occupy deeper and cooler refuge areas. Trapnet catches may under-represent population abundance and size distribution of largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, and northern pike.

Sunfishes are abundant. Family members include largemouth bass, rock bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, and black crappie. Relatively few black crappie have been captured among surveys, yet crappie support a modest fishery. Panfish anglers can anticipate excellent catch rates, but high population densities comes with some sacrifice in fishing quality, expressed as average size caught. Largemouth bass and bluegill growth rates are slow. Even though nine-year-old bluegill were captured during the 2006 survey, no 8.0-inch and larger bluegill were measured. Only five bass captures exceeded 14.0 inches in length.

Northern pike catches during the 2006 survey fell within the range of normal for similar lakes, but the average catch rate was well below that of previous surveys. It might appear that pike abundance declined to an acceptable level. It is more probable that high water temperature drove pike into deeper water, reducing sampling vulnerability and catch rates. This supposition is supported with growth information. Pike growth remained slow despite indications of lower abundance. Four-year-old pike caught in the 2006 survey averaged 19.8 inches. Only one fish captured was larger than 28.0 inches in total length. Mean weight was 1.4 lbs. Excessive numbers of small pike threaten fish community stability and likely impact survival of stocked walleye fingerlings.

Large walleye fingerlings are stocked during even-number years at a rate of 2.0-lbs/littoral acre in efforts to sustain a viable walleye fishery. Age structure of walleye captured during the 2006 survey provided affirmation that walleye stockings are supplemental to natural recruitment or immigration from connected basins. Catches in 2006 averaged 5.1fish/gillnet, which is near normal for similar lakes. The 2006 catch rate exceeded that of prior surveys. Walleye grow fast in Lake Mina and in response to poor survival of stocked fingerlings and immigration of adult walleye during spawning runs, the population is comprised of a high relative proportion of large individuals. Walleye grow to 16.7 inches in total length by age-4. Thirty-seven percent of stock-size walleye captured in 2006 exceeded 15.0 inches in length. Mean weight was 2.3 pounds

Lake Mina's resident fish community is top heavy with predators. Numbers and optimal sizes of prey are limited. Catches of yellow perch have remained unacceptably low. No perch were captured by gillnets through six of the last seven fish community assessments. Limited prey availability is evident in poor growth rates of larger northern pike and largemouth bass. Energy transfer up the food chain is further compounded by a surplus of medium-size sunfish that are too large for most predators to consume.

There is a limited population of large predators that proper from their ability to consume high-energy prey fishes such as tullibee and white sucker. A low-density muskellunge population has existed in Mina Lake since initially stocked in 1971. Some downstream movement from Lobster Lake may also account for their sustained presence in absence of natural reproduction and maintenance stocking. Population abundance was estimated at 20 fish in 1987. No muskie were captured during the 2006, but an occasional follow and rare catch generate a great deal of excitement.

Anglers have a role in shaping fish community structure and directed fishing pressure can improve predator/prey balance and energy transfer. Lake Mina supports excess numbers of small- to intermediate-size largemouth bass, bluegill, and northern pike. Sufficient harvest of surplus medium-size gamefishes and release of large predators has potential to improve community balance and average size of fish caught.

?

For more information on this lake, contact: Area Fisheries Supervisor 23070 North Lakeshore Dr Glenwood, MN 56334 Phone: (320) 634-4573 Internet: Glenwood Fisheries E-Mail: Glenwood.Fisheries@state.mn.us	Lake maps can be obtained from: Minnesota Bookstore 660 Olive Street St. Paul, MN 55155 (651) 297-3000 or (800) 657-3757 To order, use B0538,C0978 for the map-id.
For general DNR Information, contact: DNR Information Center 500 Lafayette Road St. Paul, MN 55155-4040 TDD: (651) 296-6157 or (888) MINNDNR Internet: www.dnr.state.mn.us E-Mail: info.dnr@state.mn.us	Turn in Poachers (TIP):     Toll-free: (800) 652-9093