FISHES OF SOUTHWESTERN MINNESOTA. 611 



57. Roccus chrysops (Rafinesque). Striped Baas; White Boas. Rather common 



in Big stone Lake. Several specimens were taken here in L892. 



58. Aplodinotus grunniens Rafinesque. Sheepahead; Thunder-pumper; Drum; 



While Perch. A largespecimen wastaken in Little Minnesota Riveral Browns 

 Valley in 1892 and several in Big Stone Lake A number have been taken 

 from Minnesota River at Mankato, and it is reported very common in Lake 

 Washington, where its grunting or croaking is often heard. 



Des Moines River rises in Murray County, Minn., flows southeast 

 across Cottonwood and Jackson counties, and thence south through 

 Iowa. At Windoin, Minn., where it was examined, it was but a small 

 stream 40 to 50 feet wide and averaging a foot in depth, although there 

 were many holes that were deeper. The bottom was gravelly. A dam 

 had been built across the river here and no provision had been made 

 for a lishway. Fish were quite abundant below the dam where we 

 seined. 



Cottonwood Lake lies a mileeastof Windom and covers about a quar- 

 ter section. Its shores are mostly gravelly and tree from trees except 

 on the southeast portion. A small area on the west side contained some 

 aquatic plants. A few minnows, sunfish, and cattish were taken in the 

 seine, and pickerel fishing was reported good in season. No suckers 

 were taken. The lake was reported as being quite shallow, and dead 

 fish are common along the shores alter a hard winter. 



Heron Lake, lying in the northwest portion of Jackson County, is 12 

 miles long and about 3 miles wide at its widest place. Nearly all of the 

 northern half is grown up with sedges and other aquatic plants. On 

 the west side, about midway between the two ends of the lake, is a 

 projection known as Pelican Point, and here the shores are sandy and 

 there is very little aquatic vegetation. At this point the average depth 

 is 4 feet, the greatest depth not exceeding 5 feet. The southern end of 

 the lake is generally open, and here the commercial fishing is good. 

 although limited to a few species, pickerel being the fish commonly 

 taken. Bass and pike were reported, but very few were caught. A 

 better breeding-place for fish than the north end of Heron Lake would 

 be hard to find, but the shallowness of the water is a serious drawback 

 to its becoming an important fish lake. Two creeks empty into Heron 

 Lake from the west, the one farthest north being .lack < 'reek. ( >kabena 

 Creek, farther south, is the largest, but both are small and of little 

 importance. 



Okabena lakes lie in the southeastern part of Nobles County, at 

 Worthington. Eas1 Okabena Lake is now about dry, but the west 

 lake still contains some fish, It is 2J miles long from east towest and 

 averages a mile in width, but the greatesl depth in L894 was <"> feet, and 

 in 1895 the depth was considerably less than this. It is a typical prairie 

 lake, with shores built of bowlder walls and with gravelly beaches. 

 The water was quite well Idled with aquatic vegetation the litter part 

 of June, 1804, and at the west end of the lake there was a swampy 



shore at the mouth of a small creek where sedges grew ami which was 



