Byllesby Lake

Dakota County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data

Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 19000600

DNR records show 2 stocking entries at Byllesby Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2018 (17,642 fish).

• Byllesby Lake has 2 DNR stocking records across 2 years (2016-2018): walleye (2).
• The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 33,242 fish on record.
• Maximum depth 50 ft; surface area 1,368 acres, 976 littoral acres, 13.9 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
• Fish species DNR lists here: bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, flathead catfish, freshwater drum, golden redhorse, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, and 10 more.
• 3 public accesses on the DNR list.
• Most recent DNR fish survey: June 13, 2023 (targeted survey).
• Dakota County, nearest town Cannon Falls; DNR lake number (DOW) 19000600.

Depth map

Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 9/9/1958 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.

Stocking history

² fish purchased by the DNR for stocking.

Public accesses

DNR fish survey, 2023

Catch per net (CPUE) is the DNR survey's count per gill net or trap net set; higher means more of that species were sampled, not a fishing forecast. Top species per gear shown; where we have no verified common name for a DNR code, the code itself is shown.

Lake Byllesby is located on the Goodhue and Dakota county line near the town of Cannon Falls. It is a 1,435-acre run of the river reservoir on the Cannon River created by a hydroelectric dam. Lake Byllesby has three public access, two on the lower end of the lake and one on the upper end. A fisheries survey consisting of trap netting and gill netting was completed in June 2023. A fall night-time electrofishing assessment was not completed as part of this survey. The last gill net and trap net survey was completed June 2019, however surveys previous to 2014 were completed in July. The gill-net catch rates of Walleye and Yellow Perch increased from the 2019 survey. Channel Catfish, Northern Pike, and White Bass catch rates were similar to 2019 survey. However, Black Crappie catch rate decreased from historic high in 2019. The trap-nets had an increase in Bluegill and Walleye, however other game species catch rates were similar to 2019. Excess nutrients from run off create excessive algal blooms and high turbidity limits growth of aquatic vegetation. The lack of aquatic vegetation likely impacts game fish species in Lake Byllesby. The timing of the annual drawdown that starts on October 1st and ends with refill of the reservoir by May 15 may limit the available spawning habitat for gamefish species. The upper end of the reservoir is highly impacted by excessive sedimentation, creating shallow mud and sand flats at normal lake levels. The fish community present in Lake Byllesby is similar to other reservoirs with a mix of lake and river species of fish. Lake Byllesby can provide a decent fishery, especially in the winter when anglers typically target Black Crappie and Walleye. The reservoir may provide over-winter habitat for many species of fish in the Cannon River, including Walleye.

Minnesota DNR survey narrative, June 13, 2023.

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