Portage Lake

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Portage Lake is a 356-acre lake with a maximum depth of 65 feet. The lake is located six miles south of Cass Lake in northern Cass County. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has classified Minnesotas lakes into 43 different lake classes based on physical and chemical characteristics. Portage Lake is in lake class 27. Other area lakes in the same lake class include Lower Sucker, Thirteen, and Crooked Lakes. Approximately 47% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. There is no public access on the lake. Portage Lake provides fishing for northern pike, walleye, bluegill, black crappie, and largemouth bass. The lake is managed primarily for northern pike, largemouth bass, and walleye. Anglers will find plenty of northern pike to catch. Their abundance is higher than what was found in previous surveys and of other lake class 27 lakes. They are generally small in size. Most fish are between 17 and 22 inches long but there a few over 30 inches. Growth was comparable to other area lake class 27 lakes for the first three years and better by the fourth year. There is evidence that both stocking and natural reproduction are producing walleye in Portage Lake. Walleye abundance is down from what was found in 1993, but is typical of other lakes in lake class 27. Walleye ranged in length from nine to 25 inches with an average length and weight of 15 inches and 1.3 pounds. The quality of walleye improved over what was found in 1993. Bluegill abundance has varied from survey to survey. Abundance in 1998 was below what you would typically find in a lake class 27 lake. The quality of bluegill has not decreased since 1976. To maintain such good quality, anglers need to practice selective harvest by releasing the larger bluegill and keeping only the smaller ones for eating. Quality size bluegill have disappeared from many lakes due to excessive harvest by anglers. Small numbers of black crappie and largemouth bass were sampled. These fish do not sample well in nets. These low catch rates are probably not representative of actual population sizes. Anglers have success catching these species of fish. Largemouth bass up to 18.9 inches in length were sampled. Portage Lake has stands of bulrush, cattail, and wild rice around the entire lake that offer good cover for largemouth bass and black crappie and ensure their continued successful natural reproduction. Two smallmouth bass were sampled for the first time on Portage Lake. Yellow perch are used as food by predator fish such as northern pike and walleye. Because of the increase in northern pike, yellow perch abundance came down from 1993 but is still within the range typically found in lake class 27 lakes. Cisco is another food fish for predators, especially the larger predator fish. Periodically part of the cisco population will die off in the summer. Other fish sampled include pumpkinseed sunfish, rock bass, white sucker, and bowfin (dogfish). Most of the lakeshore is privately owned and is subject to possible development. The remaining shoreline that is still undeveloped is some of the most sensitive and important shoreline on the lake for water quality protection and fish habitat. Protection of the larger watershed that drains into Portage Lake is also needed to maintain water quality. Portage Lake has significant stands of emergent vegetation such as bulrush, cattail, and wild rice. These and other aquatic plants help protect the lakeshore from erosion and absorb nutrients and pollutants as well as provide excellent places for wildlife and fish to feed, hide, and raise their young. Because of their ecological value, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. Based on the increasing value of lakeshore in this area, there will be much demand to develop the remaining lakeshore on Portage Lake. Anglers can help maintain or improve the quality of fishing by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest allows for the harvest of smaller fish for table fare, but encourages release of medium to large size fish. Releasing these fish will help maintain the fish population in Portage Lake and will provide anglers with opportunities to catch more and larger fish in the future. Large fish can help maintain balance in the fish community.

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