Rock Lake

How big is Rock Lake?

How deep is Rock Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Rock Lake?

What are the closest cities to Rock Lake?

Are there boat launches on Rock Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Rock Lake?

Rock Lake is locally noted for good panfish angling and fair Walleye, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike fishing between winterkill events. Even though light to moderate kills have occurred fairly frequently, severe winterkills have occurred about every 15 years in Rock Lake. The last severe winterkill occurred in 1996. Severe kills usually result in the loss of most or all gamefish and panfish with only bullheads and possibly a few Northern Pike and Yellow Perch surviving. This is what happened in Rock Lake in 1996. In spring of 1996, following this winterkill, the DNR restocked the lake with broodstock Bluegills, Black Crappies, and Largemouth Bass. Walleye fry were also stocked. Northern Pike and Yellow Perch survived in strong enough numbers to naturally repopulate the lake. Since this time light to moderate kills have happened in 2001, 2011, and 2014.

Northern Pike test net catch rates remained near their historic highs. High Northern Pike numbers may be suppressing recent Walleye recruitment to the fishery. Although there are high numbers of small Northern Pike, there are also some large specimens in the population. Northern Pike averaged almost 18 inches long, but one fish was nearly 36 inches in length. The younger age groups may be more acceptable to anglers in the next 2 to 3 years.

Bluegill also had a historic high test net catch, with an average length of 6.7 inches. Bluegill were found to take 7 years to reach 8 inches long. A modest population of Black Crappie exist, with an average size of around 8 inches. It was found that 10-inch-long Black Crappie were about 7 to 8 years old. Largemouth Bass that were sampled ranged in lengths from 8 to 14 inches.

Though the Walleye population is slightly lower than it has been in recent surveys, the average size of Walleyes is the highest it has ever been. The average size Walleye caught in Rock Lake is 19.3 inches in length and weighs 2.4 pounds. The largest Walleye caught in 2016 was 26.5 inches long and weighed 6 pounds.

Rock Lake is lightly developed and much of the shoreline remains in a natural state. Aquatic vegetation, including large bulrush stands, remains relatively undisturbed and provides excellent fish and wildlife habitat. In the fall, Rock Lake attracts ducks and duck hunters for these same reasons. The Buffalo River runs through it adding another interesting characteristic to the lake. If future development occurs on Rock Lake, efforts should be taken to minimize disturbance to these natural features and aesthetics of the lake to conserve habitat and protect water quality.

What is the average air temp for Rock Lake?

Are there any state parks near Rock Lake?