Thole Lake
Scott County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 70012001
Thole Lake has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- Thole Lake shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 12 ft; surface area 119 acres, 119 littoral acres, 5.2 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 4.3 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Scott County, nearest town Shakopee; DNR lake number (DOW) 70012001.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | - DNR-owned access off Co. Rd 79; 15 parking spots. Fishing pier adjacent to ramp. |
DNR fish survey, 2023
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 56.67 | 510 | 0.11 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 4.44 | 40 | 0.33 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 3.00 | 27 | 0.19 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.33 | 12 | 0.20 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 9 | 0.61 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.89 | 8 | 1.28 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 2.37 |
| Golden shiner | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 0.11 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 29.33 | 66 | 1.79 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 20.80 | 104 | 0.16 |
| Golden shiner | Standard gill nets | 12.00 | 60 | 0.12 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 11.80 | 59 | 0.59 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 8.80 | 44 | 2.57 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 15 | 1.55 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 2.60 | 13 | 0.19 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard gill nets | 0.80 | 4 | 0.21 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 0.40 | 2 | 0.10 |
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.
Thole is a shallow, productive 119-acre lake located south of Shakopee in Scott County. It is bordered to the east by Lake O'Dowd and to the south by Schneider Lake. Before development, all three lakes were broadly connected but are now divided by paved roads. Thole has a maximum depth of 12 feet and early-August water clarity of 2.5 ft. During open-water months, a fishing pier, integrated into the DNR-owned public access, is maintained for use. During the winter, an aerator is operated by the O'Dowd Lake Chain Association. Thole is infested with Eurasian watermilfoil. A standard survey consisting of gill nets, trap nets, and boat electrofishing was conducted in 2023 to characterize the gamefish community. Thole is managed for its naturally reproducing Northern Pike and Largemouth Bass populations, and both species were abundant in 2023. Northern Pike lengths ranged from 17.6 to 29.7 inches, with an average of 23.3 inches and 2.81 pounds. Forty-two percent of the Northern Pike sampled in 2023 exceeded 24 inches, so good harvest opportunity is available. Largemouth Bass lengths ranged from 6.8 to 19.9 inches, and 33% of the catch exceeded 16 inches. Bluegill were abundant in the 2023 survey, but size tended to be small. Only 23% of the catch exceeded 6 inches, and the largest fish 7.7 inches. Black Crappie abundance was lower than average, but good sized fish were found. Black Crappie lengths ranged from 4.8 to 11.2 inches, and 15% of the population exceeded 9 inches.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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