Cherokee Lake

How big is Cherokee Lake?

How deep is Cherokee Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Cherokee Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Cherokee Lake?

Cherokee is a deep, cold-water, native Lake Trout lake. Although it has been managed primarily for Lake Trout, it also supports a Northern Pike population capable of producing some higher quality fish. Because the lake is large and remote, it has been difficult to complete scheduled surveys; the last was done in 1999. This was the first of two standard surveys scheduled in the current (2015) lake management plan to monitor Lake Trout abundance and determine growth rates, and age and size at maturity, for the species. Past surveys of this lake have never taken large numbers of Lake Trout, so the goal in the current plan (a minimum gill net catch of 0.8 fish/net, deep and shallow combined) was not ambitious. No goals have been established for the Northern Pike population in this lake.

Lake Trout numbers were low in Cherokee Lake in 2016, and no larger fish were taken. The combined (deep and shallow) Lake Trout gill net catch in 2016 (0.44 fish/net) fell short of the current long range goal, and therefore also fell below the normal range for lakes of this type. However, the catch was similar to all previous catches in this lake, and seemed to indicate Lake Trout continued to maintain a small population similar to what has been seen in the past. Too few Lake Trout were sampled to allow their size, growth, or age at maturity to be described with any confidence. None of the four Lake Trout sampled were mature fish. Temperature-oxygen conditions measured during this survey showed conditions suitable for Lake Trout (water temperature < 55 F, dissolved oxygen > 5.0 ppm) at depths of about 24 to at least 100 ft (the deepest tested).

Fair numbers of Northern Pike, in above-average sizes, were present in 2016. The Northern Pike gill net catch (deep and shallow combined) was the highest observed to date in this lake, although it still fell within the normal range for a lake like this. Northern Pike lengths ranged from 19.6 to 29.0 inches, with over half the fish taken exceeding 24 inches. Six year classes contributed to the catch, although none seemed to have been exceptionally strong. At early ages, Northern Pike growth had been close to average. Fish reached a mean length of 19.1 inches at the end of their third year, compared to an area mean of 19.9 inches.

No other gamefish species has ever been sampled in Cherokee Lake. Walleye and Smallmouth Bass are not native to this part of the state, and neither species has been stocked in, or otherwise made it to, this lake. Neither species is considered desirable in native Lake Trout lakes in this area.

White Sucker seemed to have been abundant in 2016, and most were found in deep waters usually considered more suitable for Lake Trout. Many of the White Sucker sampled were small enough to have been taken by most of the Northern Pike seen in this survey, although they would have been too large for most of the Lake Trout sampled. With Yellow Perch seemingly scarce, White Sucker may have been the primary forage species for Northern Pike in this lake.

Burbot and Yellow Perch have also been sampled in this lake in past surveys. No Yellow Perch were taken in 2016, but a few were no doubt still present. The Burbot gill net catch was similar to catches seen in this lake in the past; all were too small to have been of much interest to anglers. Seining done as part of this survey added Johnny Darter and Western Blacknose Dace to the short list of fish species known to be present in this lake.

Are there any state parks near Cherokee Lake?