Big bluegills booming in Big Stone Lake as Minnesota state record is set a second time this year

Ortonville, Minn. — For the second time this open-water season, Big Stone Lake has produced Minnesota’s new state-record bluegill. It’s one of three weighing more than 2 pounds caught there in recent weeks.

Kyle Anderson, DNR fisheries specialist in Ortonville, said the original record was caught at the end of May by Chris Mulcahey of Waterville. His bluegill weighed 2 pounds and measured 11.75 inches. Then on July 7, Dale Hoffman of Ramsey caught the new state record, with a bluegill measuring 11.6 inches and weighing 2.21 pounds.

“That fish was as rotund as you could possibly get, extremely healthy, and obviously eating really well,” Anderson said.

Then the following day, Jason Krier of Chokio reeled in another 2-pound, 12-inch bluegill.

Anderson said the lake has undergone transformations throughout the years that have contributed to the large size of panfish within the water body.

In the 1990s, Big Stone Lake was a well-known walleye destination, with turbid water and limited submerged vegetation. Though the lake was a tremendous walleye fishery, Anderson said it began changing in the 2000s into more of a perch lake with jumbos consistently measuring more than 12 inches.

That lasted for about 15 years before Anderson noticed a size decrease – consistently measuring around 9 inches – though perch numbers remain strong.

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In the mid-2010s, another change occurred within Big Stone Lake. Submerged vegetation exploded, Anderson said. With that transition, it went from a walleye lake to a perch lake and now a panfish lake.

“They’re catching these monsters. They’re probably not coming in with limits of them right now. They have earlier on when that weedline was a little more prevalent, but they’re just finding some of these monsters out in the flats and they’re willing biters,” Anderson said. “And the growth is tremendous. We’re seeing bluegills obtain 10 inches long in four to five summers, which is just absolutely out of this world fast growth.”

The reason for the rapid growth is the abundance of food created by aquatic plant material. Bluegills feed on zooplankton until they reach about 10 inches, Anderson said. They grow through the typical keeper size throughout the summer and have multiple year-classes.

Once they reach that 10-inch range, much of their energy goes toward reproduction and the development of reproductive organs instead of continued growth, Anderson said.

Over the past five years, the DNR has aged about 250 to 300 bluegills in the 9- to 10-inch range. Most have been about 5 years old, with some reaching age 7. Anderson said they have not found one consistently aging beyond 7 years old.

“It tends in that really fast growth that they just top out and they’ll start dying back,” Anderson said. “Just naturally, whether anglers are catching them or not, we’re just seeing a lot of mortality once we get into those 5- to 7-year-olds.”

When anglers catch a large bluegill measuring 10 inches or more, it is likely not going to live much longer if released to grow larger because it is near the end of its life.

The DNR conducts annual seining from the water and shoreline to provide indications of what is coming up for young fish. Bluegills have remained consistent over the past few years, with natural and consistent reproduction. Anderson has noticed similar trends with perch and crappies.

One variable that may affect fish growth is the introduction of zebra mussels. Because of the invasive’s ability to filter water, it can have an impact on zooplankton. That will be monitored into the future.

A food study may also be on the horizon after finding bluegills that have eaten some zebra mussels. Veligers attach to vegetation, which is likely where the bluegills will feed on them. Anderson will look into whether feeding on zebra mussels is the reason bluegills in the lake grow so quickly.

With three 2-pound bluegills already caught, Anderson expects another record breaker before winter.

“That next record is out there. And I don’t think this one’s going to last long. I think the next one is likely to happen before the ice forms, that would be my guess,” Anderson said.

Big draw for other states

A growing number of anglers have traveled to Big Stone Lake over the past 15 years. The influx began during the perch boom around 2010, said Artie Arndt, owner of Artie’s Bait & Tackle and Park Inn by Radisson Hotel.

In recent years, the lake has become known for producing large bluegills, with catches of those 10-inchers becoming increasingly common.

“I would say within the last year or so, we’re starting to see a decent handful now that are crowding that 12-inch range,” Arndt said. “And we’ve seen those three bluegills two pounds or above in the last three weeks.”

The lake has evolved into a premier bluegill and panfish fishery over the past five years. Though those species have flourished, Arndt said the lake continues to support a variety of other gamefish.

Currently, he said many walleyes measure between 25 and 30 inches. It has also become a destination for sturgeon fishing after the species was stocked 13 years ago. The population has established itself well, with fish now measuring up to 58 inches.

With the introduction of curlyleaf pondweed, Arndt said the lake developed ideal habitat that has allowed fish populations to thrive throughout the 26-mile water body.

As the lake’s reputation has grown, anglers have traveled from throughout Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. Arndt encourages visitors to support the fishery by practicing selective harvest.

“I encourage selective harvest, but we also respect fishermen keeping fish within their limits. But the release of some of these big bluegills is certainly beneficial for the fishery,” Arndt said.