Overview
Big water with deep structure. Famous for perch, crappie and white bass. Heavily stocked with walleye and northern.
Lake Mendota Map
Fishing Regulations
Special Fishing Regulations: This lake has special fishing regulations that differ from statewide or border water regulations for those species identified below and take precedence. Regulations listed below are currently in place. Visit the fishing regulations page for links to upcoming regulations for specific lakes.
Special Waterbody Regulations
- Bag limits are for fish caught in all lakes in the LAKE MENDOTA including CHEROKEE LAKE, UNNAMED LAKE OR POND T8N-R9E-S36 Catch and release fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass is open year round unless otherwise noted. Motor Trolling is allowed with up to 3 hooks, baits, or lures, per angler.
Special Species Regulations
- Rock, Yellow, and White Bass: Open all year: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is unlimited
- Longnose gar: See Rough Fish.
- Hybrid, Striped, Yellow, and White Bass: See Rock, Yellow and White Bass.
- Flathead catfish: See Catfish.
- Crappies: See Panfish.
- Channel catfish: See Catfish.
- Bowfin: See Rough Fish.
- Bluegill: See Panfish.
- White perch: Open all year: The daily bag limit is 0, one may be killed and possessed for transport to a WDNR Office
- Trout and salmon: See Trout regulations layer.
- Shovelnose sturgeon: Closed. No fishing allowed.
- Ruffe: Open all year: The daily bag limit is 0, one may be killed and possessed for transport to a WDNR Office
- Round goby: Open all year: The daily bag limit is 0, one may be killed and possessed for transport to a WDNR Office
- Rough fish: Open all year: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is unlimited
- Paddlefish: Closed. No fishing allowed.
- Smallmouth bass: See Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass.
- Largemouth bass: See Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass.
- Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass: May 3, 2025 to March 1, 2026: The minimum length limit is 14” and the daily bag limit is 5
- Northern pike: May 3, 2025 to March 1, 2026: The minimum length limit is 40” and the daily bag limit is 1
- Muskellunge and hybrids: May 3, 2025 to December 31, 2025: The minimum length limit is 40” and the daily bag limit is 1
- Lake sturgeon: Closed. No fishing allowed.
- Cisco and whitefish: Open all year: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 10
- Catfish: Open all year: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 10
- Bullheads: Open all year: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is unlimited
- Walleye, Saugers, and Hybrids: May 3, 2025 to March 1, 2026: The minimum length limit is 18” and the daily bag limit is 3
- Panfish: Open all year: No minimum length limit and the daily bag limit is 10
- Shortnose gar: See Rough Fish.
- Urban waters gamefish: This waterbody is not considered an urban water, Urban Waters Gamefish regulations do not apply.
- Walleye: See Walleye, Sauger, and Hybrids.
- Sauger and hybrids: See Walleye, Sauger, and Hybrids.
Features
Forage
Seasonal Movements
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Fish Species
Lake Mendota Bluegill abundance
Average range for similar lakes
Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.| Survey Year | Largest Fish (in) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 9 |
| 2021 | 9 |
| 2019 | 11 |
Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.Lake Mendota Crappie abundance
Average range for similar lakes
Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.Lake Mendota Largemouth bass abundance
Average range for similar lakes
Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.| Survey Year | Largest Fish (in) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 20 |
| 2023 | 21 |
| 2022 | 20 |
| 2019 | 21 |
| 2017 | 20 |
Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.| Survey Year | Largest Fish (in) |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 50 |
Lake Mendota Northern pike abundance
Average range for similar lakes
Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.| Survey Year | Largest Fish (in) |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 38 |
| 2019 | 41 |
| 2017 | 38 |
| 2016 | 39 |
Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.Lake Mendota Pumpkinseed abundance
Average range for similar lakes
Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.Lake Mendota Rock bass abundance
Average range for similar lakes
Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.Lake Mendota Smallmouth bass abundance
Average range for similar lakes
Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.| Survey Year | Largest Fish (in) |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 19 |
| 2017 | 19 |
| 2016 | 18 |
Lake Mendota Walleye abundance
Average range for similar lakes
Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.| Survey Year | Largest Fish (in) |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 29 |
Lake Mendota White bass abundance
Average range for similar lakes
Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.Abundance ratings are based on Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) measurements conducted by the MN DNR, and represent a snapshot of a species population at a given point in time.
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Survey cadence may vary by state and water body.
