Christmas Lake
Hennepin County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 27013700
DNR records show 1 stocking entry at Christmas Lake since 2016, most recently rainbow trout yearlings in 2016 (1,000 fish).
- Christmas Lake has 1 DNR stocking record across 1 year (2016-2016): rainbow trout (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is rainbow trout: 1,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 87 ft; surface area 267 acres, 77 littoral acres, 3.8 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 26.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, and 2 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Hennepin County, nearest town Excelsior; DNR lake number (DOW) 27013700.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 6/24/1959 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,000 | 434.8 |
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | - Minnesota DNR access on the northwest bay. |
DNR fish survey, 2023
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 61.67 | 555 | 0.17 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 9.11 | 82 | 0.31 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 2.56 | 23 | 0.23 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 2.33 | 21 | 0.50 |
| Green sunfish | Standard trap nets | 1.67 | 15 | 0.10 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.78 | 7 | 0.31 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 0.85 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 0.69 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 7.17 | 43 | 2.56 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 18 | 0.79 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 4 | 0.39 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 4 | 0.11 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 2 | 0.77 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.17 | 1 | 1.27 |
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.
Christmas Lake is 267 acres, with a maximum depth of 87 feet. It is located southeast of the City of Excelsior, in southwestern Hennepin County. Public access is provided by a city-owned boat ramp located on the northwestern shore. Christmas Lake is a unique metro lake with exceptionally clear water and abundant summer dissolved oxygen. Eurasian watermilfoil and zebra mussels are present in Christmas Lake. Past management of Christmas Lake focused on establishing a put-and-take trout fishery. Since discontinuation of trout stocking after May 2016, Christmas Lake management has shifted towards Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass and Bluegill fisheries. A Standard Survey was conducted during the summer of 2023 to assess fish populations. Northern Pike numbers were high, with 7.2 fish per gill net sampled in 2023. Pike averaged 22.4 inches, with the largest measured at 34.6 inches. The Northern Pike population in Christmas Lake could benefit from the Northern Pike north-central zone regulation that took effect in 2018, where 10 fish may be kept, but not more than 2 over 26" and all fish from 22-26" must be immediately released. Sixty-nine percent of pike sampled were outside of the protected slot. Largemouth Bass sampling was not conducted in 2023. Five bass were incidentally sampled in the gill nets and trap nets, ranging in length from 5.3 to 14.4 inches. When bass electrofishing was previously conducted, in 2018, the fish were abundant, and size ranged between 10.3 and 18.6 inches. Bluegill abundance in Christmas Lake was high, with 61.7 fish per trap net sampled. Bluegill averaged 5.9 inches, with the largest measured at 8.6 inches. While there are a lot of small individuals in the population, anglers still have an opportunity to catch fish greater than 8 inches. Other fish species sampled in low abundances were Brown Bullhead, Black Crappie, Bowfin, Green Sunfish, hybrid sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Yellow Perch, and Yellow Bullhead. No Rainbow Trout were sampled.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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