Frear Lake

How big is Frear Lake?

How deep is Frear Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Frear Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Frear Lake?

Frear Lake is located in a remote area on the Lake and Cook county line approximately 15 miles northwest of Tofte, Minnesota. The lake has an area of 317 acres, and a maximum depth of 17 feet; the lake is 64 percent littoral and is a lake class 6 lake. Frear Lake is within the Timber-Frear Loop Semi-Primitive Area of the Superior National Forest, which provides opportunities for canoeing and camping with less restrictive regulations than the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. There are three developed campsites on the lake that are accessible by water. Two direct routes can be used to access Frear Lake. There is a road (FR 1271) that turns off of the Whitefish Lake Road (FR 348) and passes south around the lake before coming to the lake shore near the outlet. The road is very rough beyond a logging landing about half way to the lake and is only wide enough for an ATV beyond the landing. There is also a 0.25 mile trail off of the Whitefish Lake Road (FR 348) to the west side of the lake. Two portage routes also lead to the lake. There is a 120 rod portage from Lost Lake to the southwestern corner of Frear Lake. A 60 rod portage, a section of marsh, and a 5 rod portage connect Frear Lake to Timber Lake. The lake shore is a combination of state and federal land and is entirely in public ownership.

The lake bed on Frear Lake is dominated by hard substrates, primarily boulder and rubble. Muck, detritus, and sand are also present in some areas. Aquatic plants are found growing to a maximum depth of 7 feet with a total of 30 types of aquatic and riparian plants were documented.

Walleye is the primary managed species on Frear Lake. The Walleye catch was above average relative to other area lakes during the 2016 lake survey. The average length of Walleye sampled was 14.2 inches with fish up to 21.6 inches long sampled. The average weight of Walleye sampled was 1 pound. Thirteen Walleye year classes were present in the sample with the 2011 year class making up 36 percent of the catch, the oldest fish sampled was estimated to be age-15, this is indicative of consistent recruitment. Growth was below average relative to other area lakes.

Northern Pike is the secondary managed species in Frear Lake. The gillnet catch during the 2016 survey was only slightly below average. The average length of Northern Pike sampled was 20.45 inches with fish up to 25.04 inches long sampled and the average weight was 1.75 pounds. Within the sample there were four year classes with the oldest fish being age-7; the 2012 year class made up 54 percent of the sample. Growth was average relative to other area lakes.

Yellow Perch catch was slightly below average relative to other similar lakes. The average length was 6.57 inches with fish up to 7.76 inches long sampled and the average weight was 0.11 pounds. Three year classes were sampled with the 2013 year class making up 57 percent of the catch. Growth was average relative to other area lakes. Approximately 5,000 young of the year Yellow Perch (good forage for Walleye) were sampled. White Sucker and Blacknose Shiner were also sampled in good numbers.

Frear Lake, like the other lakes in the Timber-Frear Loop offers a good opportunity for angling and canoe camping. The Walleye fishery in the lake for eater size fish should be good. The Northern Pike and Yellow Perch in the lake may not be worth targeting due to the small sizes and limited numbers. Overall Frear Lake is scenic lake that offers good angling for Walleye in a remote setting.

Are there any state parks near Frear Lake?