Crab Lake

How big is Crab Lake?

How deep is Crab Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Crab Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Crab Lake?

The 2010 assessment was scheduled to evaluate walleye fingerling stocking done in 2007 and 2005. The walleye gill net catch fell well short of the long range goal (4.0 fish/set) in the 2008 lake management plan, and was well below the normal range for the lake class. It was the lowest catch observed to date in this lake, despite regular walleye fingerling stocking since 1999. One of the walleye collected in 2010 was from a year class supported by stocking, while the other was not. Fingerling stockings in 2007 and 2005 apparently failed, as had previous stockings.

Crab Lake supported an exceptionally high quality northern pike population in 2010, with a fairly high number of fish and an excellent average size. Long range goals for the species were met or exceeded by the 2010 catch. Lengths for eight of the 29 northern pike collected in gill nets were 25 inches or greater, and some fish over 30 inches were taken. Northern pike growth had been fairly fast; three-year-old fish averaged 19.9 inches at the end of their third year, compared to an area mean of 18.1 inches. Fish as old as seven years were collected.

Bluegill seemed to have been abundant in 2010, but they were small. All but one of the bluegill collected in gill nets were four years old, from what must have been a strong 2006 year class. Growth had been very slow; four-year-old fish averaged just 3.6 inches at the end of their fourth year.

Smallmouth bass had not been sampled in gill nets in this lake since 1987; however, two (8.3 and 13.5 inches) were taken in quarter-inch-mesh trap nets in 2010. Quarter-inch trap nets also collected a few young-of-year smallmouth bass; their advanced size (average length 1.0 inches) so early in the season suggested the 2010 year class might be a fairly strong one.