Pike Lake

How big is Pike Lake?

How deep is Pike Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Pike Lake?

Are there topographical lake maps available Pike Lake?

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Pike Lake

Are there boat launches on Pike Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Pike Lake?

Walleye were fairly abundant in Pike Lake in 2015. Although their average size was low it was similar to past results in this lake. Some larger fish were present, with several fish over 20 inches included in the catch. All walleye collected in 2015 had been produced naturally, with a strong 2012 year class accounting for nearly half the total catch. Moderately strong year classes had also been produced in 2011, 2013, and 2014. Growth of younger walleye had been slightly slower than average; fish reached a mean length of 13.4 inches by the end of their fourth year. Walleye as old as 17 years were collected.

Gill and trap net catches in 2015 gave conflicting information on the smallmouth bass population. The trap net catch was low, but the gill net catch was high. It seemed most likely that smallmouth bass remained abundant in Pike Lake in 2015, and may have just moved off-shore (out of reach of trap nets) at the time this survey was done. The lake supported a high-quality bass populatiuon in 2015, with most of the fish taken in gill nets larger than 12 inches, and some as large as 18 inches seen. It appeared that dropping the smallmouth bass experimental regulation on this lake in 2005 had little or no effect on the quality of the bass population. Growth of young smallmouth bass collected in 2015 had been relatively fast; they reached a mean length of 10.7 inches by the end of their fourth year, compared to an area average of 9.1 inches.

As has usually been the case in this lake, northern pike were present in fair numbers and above-average sizes. Growth of younger fish had been about average, with fish reaching a length of 19.2 inches by the end of their third year. Larger fish were the result of good long-term survival, with fish as old as nine years taken. Pike Lake offers high-quality coldwater forage (lake whitefish) and deep cool-water refuge areas needed to produce large northern pike in this area.

The yellow perch gill net catch was high for a lake of this type, but was still one of the lower catches seen in Pike Lake in the last 20 years, continuing a decline in perch catches evident since 1989. Although their numbers may have been down, yellow perch continued to provide an excellent forage base for walleye and northern pike, and many were large enough to offer some angling opportunity as well.

Pike Lake continued to support a modest lake whitefish population. Most of the fish taken in 2015 appeared (based on length) to have been mature adults. White sucker were also collected in 2015, but their numbers appeared to have been low.

Are there any state parks near Pike Lake?