Outdoors

TOP 10 FISHING HOT SPOTS

Here’s a list from the Hutchinson office of the Fisheries Division of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

• Lake Ripley: Lake Ripley, in

Litchfi eld, has a reputation as a good fi shing lake for crappies and bluegills. DNR netting in 2015 produced bluegills up to 8.5 inches and black crappies up to 12 inches in length.

The lake has fair numbers of northern pike with lengths ranging from 14 inches to 28 inches. There is also angling opportunity for largemouth bass, yellow perch, walleye and large bullheads. Access to the lake is easy with public accesses and parks on both the east and west sides of the lake. The west access also has a fi shing pier.

• Lake Minnie-Belle: Lake

Minnie-Belle, south of

Litchfield, provides great boating and angling amenities.

It is nearly 600 acres in area, with an average depth of 31 feet and a max depth of 49 feet. Of special interest might be the large northern pike available to anglers.

Due in part to a 24- to 36inch protected slot limit in place, the numbers of larger northern pike has increased dramatically. Minnie-Belle has nice-sized walleyes with many fi sh being 17 inches to 28 inches in length. The lake also has angling available for bluegills, black crappies, largemouth bass and big yellow bullheads. Public access points are on the west side and north east side.

Minnie-Belle also has a fi shing pier for anglers.

• Belle Lake: Belle Lake, just 5 miles north of Hutchinson, is a good fishing lake for black crappie, northern pike, yellow perch and walleye. It has an area of 863 acres, with an average depth of 16 feet and maximum depth of 25 feet. DNR netting in 2016 produced many northern pike, averaging 24 inches in length up to 32 inches. There were good numbers of walleyes, averaging 14 inches and growing up to 25 inches. The lake also has fair numbers of bluegill and largemouth bass for anglers. Belle Lake has a public access on the east side of the lake and a county park on the southeast side. The park has a boat landing, swimming beach and a campground.

• Collinwood Lake: Collinwood

Lake, 3 miles southeast of

Dassel, is 638 acres and has a mean depth of 12 feet, with a maximum depth of 28 feet. It has good numbers of walleye, northern pike and black crappies. DNR netting in 2016 produced many walleyes, averaging 15 inches and growing up to 26 inches. Northern pike lengths averaged 21 inches, and grew up to 31 inches. There were black crappies that averaged nine inches, and grew up to 11 inches. Anglers can also expect to catch largemouth bass, bluegills, yellow perch and channel catfi sh of more than 16 inches. There are public accesses on the north and south sides of the lake and a county park access on the east side. The county park has a fi shing pier, beach and campground. • Lake Erie: Lake Erie is about 6 miles north of Hutchinson.

It has 190 acres of area, with a maximum depth of 34 feet.

Erie is known for its bluegills and largemouth bass, but you can also catch black crappies, northern pike and walleyes.

DNR netting in 2014 showed that though the numbers of northern pike and walleyes were not high, the sizes of fi sh were good. Northern pike up to 30 inches, and walleyes up to 25 inches, were sampled. Lake Erie is one of those small lakes that anglers can go to when the wind is too strong on larger lakes.

• Lake Stella: Lake Stella is 2 miles south of Darwin. With a maximum depth of 75 feet, the lake is the deepest in the area. The lake provides great fishing for northern pike, walleye and smallmouth bass. DNR netting in 2014 produced northern pike from 19 inches to 32 inches, many walleyes between 14 inches and 25 inches, and many smallmouth bass between 15 inches and 19 inches. Stella also supports bluegills, black crappies and largemouth bass. The lake has a public access on the south side.

• Lake Washington: Lake Washington, about a mile south of Darwin, is one of the larger lakes in the area at 2,438 acres. It has an average depth of eight feet, with a maximum depth of 17 feet. The lake is a popular fi shing site for northern pike, walleye, largemouth bass, bluegills and smallmouth bass. DNR netting in 2016 produced good numbers of northern pike, averaging 24 inches and growing up to 32 inches. There were also walleyes that averaged 17 inches, and grew to 26 inches. Most of the largemouth and smallmouth bass were between 14 inches and 19 inches. Lake Washington has public accesses on the south side and on the east side of the lake.

• Swan Lake: Swan Lake is north of Silver Lake. It has 351 acres of area, with a maximum depth of 10 feet. DNR netting in 2016 produced high numbers of yellow perch, averaging 5- to 8-inches long.

Swan has walleyes ranging from 16 inches to 27 inches.

Black crappie samples were well below the extremely high rate of 2012. Anglers can also fi sh for 9- to 22-inch channel catfi sh and common carp, which were both high in number. Bluegills, black bullhead, and walleye are also present in the lake. Anglers may even want to try their luck at largemouth bass.

There are public accesses on the southeast side and on the north side. There is a fi shing pier at the county park on the north side of the lake.