Walker Brook Lake

How big is Walker Brook Lake?

How deep is Walker Brook Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Walker Brook Lake?

What are the closest cities to Walker Brook Lake?

Are there boat launches on Walker Brook Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Walker Brook Lake?

Walkerbrook Lake is a 90-acre lake with a maximum depth of 45 feet located 7 miles southeast of Bagley in central Clearwater County. There is a state public water access with an earthen ramp and parking for 5 vehicles/trailers located on the west side of the lake off of County Road 96. The shoreline of the lake is mostly undeveloped with a small number of lakeside homes and cabins. The lake basin drops sharply from the shoreline into deep water. The lake stratifies at a shallow depth during summer, with little oxygen for fish below a depth of 15 feet found in the 2015 survey conducted in late June.

Walkerbrook Lake is managed primarily for Walleye and Black Crappie, with Northern Pike, Bluegill and Largemouth Bass managed secondarily. 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. Walkerbrook Lake is in Lake Class 28. The following discussion makes comparisons between Walkerbrook Lake and other class 28 lakes in the state. Other Bemidji area lakes in this class include Little Buzzle, Lomond and Sandy (near Debs).

Walkerbrook Lake is stocked with Walleye fingerlings on alternate years. Walleye catch rates have been low in most surveys (including 2015) but that may be due in part to the difficulty of setting the survey nets so that they fish effectively on such steep drop offs. The 2015 Walleye catch rate of 0.33/gill net was below the normal range found in class 28 lakes. The Walleye catch consisted of fish in the 14.0 to 15.0-inch length range and a few larger individuals up to 28.58 inches in length.

Black Crappie numbers in Walkerbrook Lake have been consistent over the past few surveys. The 2015 survey catch rates for both trap nets and gill nets (2.44/trap net and 1/gill net) were within the range normally found in class 28 lakes. Black Crappie up to 10.71 inches in length were captured, with an average length of 9.1 inches. Nine year classes of Black Crappie were identified in the catch, indicating consistent natural reproduction. Black Crappie grow slowly in Walkerbrook Lake, which limits the maximum size they are able to achieve.

The 2015 Bluegill catch rate of 13/trap net was just below the median value for class 28 lakes. Bluegill numbers were down from very high levels in the most recent survey in 2005 (85/trap net). This decline has caused growth rates to increase considerably in the population, which may result in more quality-size Bluegill available to anglers in the near future. Most of the Bluegill captured were between 6.0 and 7.5 inches in length, with fish up to 9.41 inches in length present in the population.

Northern Pike were abundant in the 2015 survey. The catch rate of 9.33/gill net was above the normal range for class 28 lakes. Some quality-size pike were found in the population, with 32% of the catch measuring greater than 24 inches in length. The average size of Northern Pike captured in 2015 was 21.24 inches, with the largest Northern Pike measuring 35.83 inches in length.

The 2015 survey documented a healthy population of Largemouth Bass, with an electrofishing catch rate of 41 Bass/hour which is a good catch rate for lakes in the Bemidji area. Largemouth Bass from 6.81 inches to 20.43 inches in length were captured, with an impressive average size of 15.0 inches in length.

Other species captured in the 2015 survey were Hybrid Sunfish, Yellow Bullhead, White Sucker and Yellow Perch. Yellow Perch up to 10.39 inches in length were captured, although the average length of 7.21 inches indicates few Perch of a size that would be of interest to anglers.

Are there any state parks near Walker Brook Lake?