Lions Lake

Blue Earth County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data

Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 07015900

DNR records show 12 stocking entries at Lions Lake since 2016, most recently bluegill sunfish adults in 2025 (200 fish).

Lions Lake has 12 DNR stocking records across 6 years (2016-2025): bluegill sunfish (5), black crappie (3), northern pike (2), largemouth bass (1), and 1 more species.
The most-stocked species by count is bluegill sunfish: 2,012 fish on record.
Maximum depth 7 ft; surface area 6 acres, 6 littoral acres, 0.7 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
1 public access on the DNR list.
Most recent DNR fish survey: May 14, 2007 (standard survey).
Blue Earth County, nearest town Mankato; DNR lake number (DOW) 07015900.

Stocking history

Year	Species	Size	Number	Pounds
2025	Bluegill Sunfish	adults	200	40.0
2023	Black Crappie	adults	180	45.0
2023	Bluegill Sunfish	adults	753	136.0
2023	Largemouth Bass	adults	25	50.0
2021	Bluegill Sunfish	adults	490	98.0
2019	Black Crappie	adults	228	20.0
2019	Bluegill Sunfish	adults	285	25.0
2017	Black Crappie	adults	132	66.0
2017	Northern Pike	adults	25	50.0
2016	Bluegill Sunfish	adults	284	49.0
2016	Northern Pike	adults	50	80.7
2016	Yellow Perch	adults	402	121.8

Field note · Minnesota stocks by year, not by truck day: walleye fry go in within weeks of ice-out, fingerlings and yearlings mostly in fall, and stream trout in spring and fall. A row here means the fish went in during that year; DNR adds the year's rows after the fact, so the current year can look empty until winter.

Public accesses

Type	Owner	Where
O	city	- CITY PARK AROUND 70% OF THE POND NO BOAT ACCESS.

DNR fish survey, 2007

Species	Gear	Catch per net	Total catch	Avg lb
Black bullhead	Standard trap nets	78.00	312	0.02
Black crappie	Standard trap nets	38.75	155	0.13
Yellow bullhead	Standard trap nets	7.50	30	0.25
Bluegill	Standard trap nets	1.75	7	0.29
Pumpkinseed	Standard trap nets	0.25	1	0.13
White crappie	Standard trap nets	0.25	1	0.52
Largemouth bass	Standard trap nets	0.25	1	1.85
Northern pike	Standard trap nets	0.25	1	5.59

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.

Lions Lake is stormwater retention pond (7 acre) located in Mankato. Lions Lake is stocked annually with panfish to provide angling opportunities. Curly leaf pondweed is abundant in the spring but dies back in July for the remainder of the season. Shorefishing and pierfishing opportunites exist. The 2007 population assessment found abundant numbers of black crappie and black bullhead. Black crappie run small with most fish 6.5 - 8 inches. Black crappie averaged 39 per trap net. Black bullhead averaged 78 per trap net with most fish 5.5 - 7.5 inches and a few making 9 inches. Other species found in low numbers include bluegill, white crappie, pumpkinseed, largemouth bass, and yellow bullhead. Despite the low catches of northern pike in this survey, anglers report good pike fishing.

Minnesota DNR survey narrative, May 14, 2007.

All Minnesota stockings · every Minnesota lake with a page · state CSV · this lake on DNR LakeFinder

Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.

Lions Lake

Stocking history

Public accesses

DNR fish survey, 2007

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