Lake Itasca

How big is Lake Itasca?

How deep is Lake Itasca?

What kind of fish can you catch in Lake Itasca?

Are there boat launches on Lake Itasca?

Are there places to eat and drink near Lake Itasca?

What are the fishing regulations for Lake Itasca?

There are specific fishing regulations Lake Itasca that you need to know. For complete fishing regulations visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. To report a violation call (800) 652-9093. Need a Minnesota fishing license?

Lake Itasca, famously known as the headwaters of the Mississippi River, is a 1,077 acre lake with a diverse fish community. Located within Itasca State Park, the lake receives many visitors and is a popular attraction for a variety of watersports including angling. Fishing pressure in the summer is comprised mostly of park visitors but it's also a popular ice fishing lake for local anglers. Besides Walleye, anglers often target Bluegill, Black Crappie, and Yellow Perch. Walleye are stocked in the spring at 1000 fry/littoral-acre on an alternate year frequency. There are also special reduced daily bag limits for sunfish (10 per day) and crappie (5 per day) on Itasca. A creel survey conducted on lakes in the state park in 2016 will provide insight on angler catch, fishing pressure, angler behavior, and special regulation compliance.

Lake Itasca has two public accesses. The main access is located near the swimming beach about a mile and a half south of the north entrance to the park. The second public access is located on the south end of Bear Paw Campground. There is also a public fishing pier maintained by Douglas Lodge on the southeast arm of the lake.

Two targeted, species-specific assessments were performed in 2015 along with a standard lake survey to evaluate the fish community in Lake Itasca. The two targeted assessments were night electrofishing for Largemouth Bass and spring trap netting for Bluegills and Black Crappie.

Walleye are relatively abundant and stable in Itasca. During the standard survey, 77 were captured in gill nets resulting in a catch rate of 6.4 fish/net. Walleye lengths averaged 16.3 inches and fish up to nearly 30 inches were observed. The strong 2011 year class corresponds to a fry stocked year and appears to comprise the majority of "eater" sized fish.

Northern Pike are plentiful in Itasca and a commonly sought game fish for consumption. A total of 81 were captured in gill nets with lengths up to 28 inches; however, the majority of pike were under 22 inches. Nevertheless, they provide an excellent angling opportunity as well as excitement for young anglers visiting the lake.

Bluegills were targeted in the spring trap netting assessment when 125 were captured over four days. Only 26% of the catch exceeded eight inches in length but fish up to 11.2 inches were recorded. These uniquely larger fish are often targeted through the ice and summer success is not uncommon making sunfish one of the most popular species sought by anglers in Lake Itasca.

Black Crappie were captured more effectively than Bluegill in the spring trap netting and they appear to be thriving. A total of 444 crappies were captured during the four day assessment resulting in a catch rate of 9.5 fish/net. Lengths of crappies averaged 9.4 inches with fish up to 13.6 inches observed. Black Crappie is another very popular species for anglers fishing Itasca.

Largemouth Bass were targeted during a night electrofishing assessment in early June. A total of 31 bass were captured, measured, and released during the nearly two hours of electrofishing resulting in a catch rate of 16 fish/hour. While not present in high densities, the bass were large, averaging 16.7 inches in length with the largest exceeding 19.5 inches.

Yellow Perch are another highly sought fish species in Itasca and also one of the most abundant. Just over 750 perch were captured in gill nets with lengths up to 10.5 inches. Approximately 21% were over eight inches in length and 8% were over nine inches. Yellow Perch are also one of the main forage species in the lake.

Muskellunge or "musky" as they are often called are present in the lake at assumed low densities because they are not stocked or actively managed. However, neighboring Elk Lake, which is connected to Itasca via Chambers Creek, is annually stocked with musky fingerlings and allows fish passage under high water conditions. Three Muskies were captured with lengths up to 40.8 inches during the assessments on Itasca in 2015.

Tullibee (Cisco) were also captured during the 2015 assessments. This cold water species is important to a lake like Itasca because of its exceptionally high nutritional value. Many large predator species like Walleye, Northern Pike, and Muskellunge rely on Tullibee to achieve large sizes. Tullibee are occasionally targeted by anglers but the majority of the fish captured in 2015 were less than eight inches in length.

Are there any state parks near Lake Itasca?