Aspen Lake

How big is Aspen Lake?

How deep is Aspen Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Aspen Lake?

Are there boat launches on Aspen Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Aspen Lake?

Aspen Lake is currently managed for walleye and northern pike. The long range goal for walleye is to maintain a minimum gill net catch of 4.0 fish/set, with some fish over 20 inches. The goal for northern pike is a minimum gill net catch of 1.2 fish/set (with no size goal). One of the objectives of the current (2006) lake management plan was to develop a long range goal for black crappie in this lake. The other was to determine whether continued stocking of walleye was needed. This was the second of two assessments scheduled to help meet those objectives.

The 2012 walleye gill net catch did not meet the long range goal for Aspen Lake; however, it was similar to catches observed in this lake since 1989. The 2012 catch may have been influenced by unusually low oxygen levels in deeper waters that may have reduced the walleye catch in some of the deeper net sets. The walleye size goal was met in 2012 with the capture of one 22.6-inch fish. Several year classes contributed to the walleye catch. Year classes supplemented by stocking accounted for 14 of the 22 walleye taken in gill nets or trap nets, but stocked and unstocked year classes were about equally strong. The stocked 2007 year class contributed the most fish to the catch (nine), but second and third-highest contributions came from unstocked year classes in 2010 and 2006. Walleye growth rates were average or better; five-year-old fish in Aspen Lake reached a mean length of 15.1 inches by the end of their fifth year, compared to an average of 14.4 inches in similar lakes in this area.

Walleye stocking probably contributes to the walleye catch in Aspen Lake, although the population is probably not dependent on stocking. There is some evidence to suggest that higher gill net catches were achieved when stocking rates in this lake were higher. Continued stocking, and perhaps an increase in stocking rate, may be needed to produce a walleye population consistently meeting the current long range goal.

The 2012 northern pike gill net catch easily met the long range goal for the species. Northern pike gill net catches in this lake have risen fairly steadily since 1989, and the 2012 catch approached the upper end of the normal range for the lake class. Size of northern pike collected has been more stable, ranging from 1.5 to 2.5 lb/fish since 1992. The mean weight for northern pike collected in 2012 fell within that range, and was average for a lake of this type. Four year classes contributed to the 2012 catch, and the 2010 year class was apparently fairly strong. Despite the lack of a strong yellow perch forage base, northern pike growth had been somewhat faster than average. Three-year-old fish reached an average length of 19.8 inches by the end of their third year, compared to an average of 18.1 inches in similar lakes in the Grand Marais area.

The 2012 yellow perch gill net catch was low for a lake of this type, and low for Aspen Lake historically. No yellow perch were taken in 0.75-in-mesh trap nets. A few small yellow perch were taken in 0.25-in-mesh trap nets, and that gear also collected young-of-year (YOY) yellow perch. The YOY catch (20.5 fish/set) fell below the normal range for YOY catches in 0.25-in-mesh nets in lakes of this type.

Several smallmouth bass were collected in gill nets and trap nets in 2012. Those fish ranged in length from 5.7 to 17.1 inches. Gill net and trap net catches generally don't do a good job of sampling smallmouth bass, and it is hard to judge smallmouth bass abundance based on those catches alone. Several year classes contributed to the 2012 smallmouth bass catch, which included fish up to eight years of age; however, none of the year classes appeared to have been particularly strong. Large numbers of YOY smallmouth bass were collected in 0.25-in-mesh trap nets; the catch (12.6 fish/set) was higher than usual for a lake of this type. The early spring and warm summer may have contributed to the high YOY catch, since YOY smallmouth bass may have been larger than usual for this time of the year, and therefore more readily caught in the sampling gear.

Aspen Lake is one of very few lakes in Cook County that support black crappie. The black crappie catch in 0.75-in-mesh trap nets in 2012 was well within the normal range for a lake of this type, and one of the higher catches seen to date in Aspen Lake. Black crappie catches in this lake have never been high; a minimum catch of 0.5 fish/trap net set may be a reasonable and attainable goal based on recent assessment results. Although black crappie may not be abundant in this lake, the lake can produce some larger fish. Most of the black crappie taken in 2012 were over 11 inches in length, and the mean weight for fish taken in trap nets exceeded the normal range. The 2012 catch consisted mostly of four-year-old fish from a moderately strong 2008 year class. The capture of a few YOY black crappie in 0.25-in-mesh trap nets in this assessment (and the size of those fish at capture) suggested another fairly good year class may be produced in 2012.

Are there any state parks near Aspen Lake?