Round Lake

How big is Round Lake?

How deep is Round Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Round Lake?

Are there boat launches on Round Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Round Lake?

Round Lake is a 1,087-acre, class 27 lake located in northeastern Becker County. Unlike many area lakes, shoreline development has not increased substantially since the original lake survey in 1957, when there were two resorts and 86 cottages reported. One resort and 92 homes or cabins were counted in 2000. Due to extensive areas of offshore shoals, the lake still contains large stands of bulrush. Round Lake is mesotrophic, with a mean Carlson's trophic state index in the mid-forties. It lies within the White Earth Indian Reservation. Its primary inlet, the Otter Tail River, was used by the White Earth Biology Department as a Walleye spawn taking site for a couple of years in the late 1980s.


In 2015, the average Northern Pike gill net catch rate of 15.7 per set almost doubled the 2010 catch rate and was above the lake's historical average Northern Pike catch rate of 11.5 per gill net. The average length and weight of sampled Northern Pike was 20.0 inches and 1.7 pounds. Four-year-old Northern Pike had an average length of 24.0 inches. Nearly 89% of sampled Northern Pike were age three or younger.

The 2015 Walleye gill net catch was very similar to the previous two surveys at 5.0 Walleyes per gill net. The 2015 catch rate was within the normal range for similar lakes in the state, but less than the lake's historical average of 6.7 per gill net. Eight different ages of Walleye were found in the 2015 sample. The average size of sampled Walleyes was 15.1 inches and 2.4 pounds. Walleye growth rates were considered slightly below normal in Round Lake compared to statewide and historic lake growth rates. Average Walleye length at four years of age was 14.7 inches. Unfortunately, increased Walleye stocking rates since 2002 have failed to significantly increase Walleye catch rates in the three surveys following the change.

The 2015 catch rate of 40.5 Bluegills per trap net greatly exceeded the historic low observed in the previous 2010 survey, and was also larger than the historic average of 27.0 Bluegills per trap net. The average Bluegill length was 5.9 inches and ranged from 3.5 to 8.9 inches. The average Bluegill growth rate was similar to historic lake rates, but slower than the statewide average. Four-year-old Bluegill had an average length of 4.7 inches.

Historically, very few, if any, Black Crappie have been sampled in Round Lake. Only five Black Crappie were sampled in total in 2015. Modest numbers of Largemouth Bass were sampled in gill nets, along with a few bass in trap nets. Average lengths of Black Crappie and Largemouth Bass were relatively large at 11.4 and 13.4 inches, respectively.

Annual tribal stocking of Lake Sturgeon over the past decade has been extremely successful at providing a population in Round Lake. In the year 2000, no sturgeon were caught in test nets. In 2005, the gill net catch rate was 1.6 per net and in 2010 the catch rate jumped to a remarkable 16.1 sturgeon per gill net. The 2015 catch rate was 5.2 per gill net. Those fish averaged 2.7 pounds and 24.5 inches, but lengths of sampled sturgeon ranged from 8.4 to 34.0 inches. Most sturgeon were seven or eight years old.

With continuing shoreline and watershed development, this diverse, productive, and valuable fishery will need help on several fronts to be sustained. Anglers can help to maintain balance in fish populations by voluntarily releasing a portion of medium and large fish and keeping smaller ones for eating. This is particularly true for Northern Pike and Bluegill. Shoreline owners and other watershed dwellers can help to maintain or improve water quality and fish habitat by leaving shoreline buffer zones, by leaving stands of native aquatic vegetation intact, by taking precautions to prevent invasive species introductions, and by using wise land management practices.

What is the average air temp for Round Lake?

Are there any state parks near Round Lake?