Rabideau Lake

How big is Rabideau Lake?

How deep is Rabideau Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Rabideau Lake?

What are the closest cities to Rabideau Lake?

Are there topographical lake maps available Rabideau Lake?

We have an topograpical map for online viewing near the top of this page. Lake-Link Pro users can download an print a topograpical map of Rabideau Lake (.pdf format) along with 2,700 more lake maps. For more information on all the benefits of Lake-Link Pro click here.

Rabideau Lake

Are there boat launches on Rabideau Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Rabideau Lake?

Rabideau Lake is a 577-acre lake located in the Chippewa National Forest near the city of Blackduck in Beltrami County. Most of the lakeshore is undeveloped, with a small number of lake homes and cabins. The lake has two distinct basins connected by a navigable channel. The east basin of the lake is less than 12 feet deep and has lots of aquatic vegetation, while the west basin of the lake contains little shallow water and has a maximum depth of 120 feet. The lake tends to stratify strongly in summer, with little oxygen for fish below a depth of 10 feet. There is a DNR public water access located on the east end of the lake with a concrete ramp and parking for about 5 trucks/trailers. Rabideau is managed for Bluegill, Black Crappie and Walleye.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has classified Minnesota lakes into 43 different lake classes based on physical characteristics and the fish community present in the lake. Rabideau is in lake class 35. The following discussion makes comparisons between Rabideau Lake and other class 35 lakes in the state. Other Bemidji area lakes in this class include Big Bass, Stump, and Gull Lake near Tenstrike.

Due to the extensive aquatic vegetation and shallow water found in the eastern lake basin, Rabideau Lake is prone to winterkill events, which affect the size and numbers of fish present in the lake at any time. The last significant winterkill was documented in 1995-96. However, several partial winterkills have occurred since then, and reports of some dead fish were received shortly after ice-out in 2014. The results of the 2014 population assessment showed that numbers and sizes of the primary management species were down slightly but still comparable to past assessments as well as populations in other similar lakes.

The 2014 assessment results showed a low density Bluegill population with quality size structure. The trap net catch rate for Bluegill (3.67/trap net) was just below the normal range for this lake class (4/trap net - 28.07/trap net). Bluegill captured ranged from 4.09 inches to over 10 inches in length with an average length of 8.46 inches and average weight of 0.60 lbs/fish, which was well above the normal range (0.1 lbs -0.3 lbs/fish) for class 35 lakes. The trap net catch rate for Black Crappie (1.08/trap net) was within the normal range (0.69/trap net - 4.32/trap net) and down just slightly from the previous assessment in 2008. Fish up to 12.99 inches in length were captured; however, the majority of the catch measured less than 9 inches in length.

Rabideau Lake is stocked with Walleye fry on alternate years. The 2014 Walleye catch rate of 1.11/gill net was just within the normal range for class 35 lakes. Walleye catch rates have never been particularly high, and catch rates from the past three assessments have been below the median value for this lake class (2.11/gill net). Walleye captured ranged in length from 15.08 inches to 26.14 inches with a large average size of 20.11 inches. The absence of smaller fish may indicate low survival from recent stockings; however, Rabideau has good connectivity with the North Branch of the Turtle River, and fish are able to migrate through the connected system to other lakes. The importance of this connectivity was illustrated by the age distribution of the walleye catch, which included a nearly equal proportion of fish from stocked and non-stocked years.

The Northern Pike catch rate of 8.56/gill net was nearly identical to the previous assessment (2008) and falls within the normal range for lake class 35 (3.55/gill net - 11/gill net). The proportion of larger Pike (>24 inches in length) doubled from 2008, although the average size of Pike in Rabideau Lake remained on the small side at 19.61 inches in length. The largest Pike sampled in 2014 was 36.65 inches in length.

Other species of fish captured in the 2014 assessment were Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, Tullibee Cisco, White Sucker, Bullhead species and Yellow perch. Yellow perch were abundant, but few fish were of a size that would be of interest to anglers (>8 inches in length).

What is the average air temp for Rabideau Lake?

Are there any state parks near Rabideau Lake?