Sea Gull Lake

How big is Sea Gull Lake?

How deep is Sea Gull Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Sea Gull Lake?

Are there topographical lake maps available Sea Gull Lake?

We have an topograpical map for online viewing near the top of this page. Lake-Link Pro users can download an print a topograpical map of Sea Gull Lake (.pdf format) along with 2,700 more lake maps. For more information on all the benefits of Lake-Link Pro click here.

Sea Gull Lake East

Sea Gull Lake West

Are there boat launches on Sea Gull Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Sea Gull Lake?

What are the fishing regulations for Sea Gull Lake?

There are specific fishing regulations Sea Gull Lake that you need to know. For complete fishing regulations visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. To report a violation call (800) 652-9093. Need a Minnesota fishing license?

Sea Gull is a large, deep Canadian Shield Lake Trout lake, currently managed mainly for Lake Trout and Walleye. The current (2008) lake management plan established a long range goal for Lake Trout of maintaining a minimum catch in deep gill net sets of 1.0 fish/set. The long range goal set for Walleye was a minimum catch in shallow gill net sets of 3.0 fish/set. This was the third of three standard surveys scheduled in the 2008 plan to monitor the lake for the introduction of new fish species, and to determine whether regulations were needed to preserve or enhance Lake Trout or Walleye fisheries. The need for a Walleye regulation was established after the 2012 survey was completed, and an experimental regulation covering the Walleye fishery was implemented in the spring of 2015. That regulation established a 17-inch minimum size limit, with a three-fish bag limit, of which only one fish could be more than 20 inches in length. The end date for the regulation has been set at March 2025.

Moderate numbers of mostly smaller Walleye were found in Sea Gull lake in 2015. The Walleye catch in shallow gill net sets fell short of the long range goal for the species, and the combined catch in deep and shallow sets (1.33 fish/set) remained below the objective established in the proposal for the 2015 regulation. Both catches nevertheless fell within normal ranges for lakes of this type. Thirteen year classes, all naturally produced, contributed to the Walleye catch. The catch included fair numbers of fish from moderately strong 2012 and 2011 year classes; as a result, the catch of small Walleye increased compared to the low catch seen in 2012. All of the 2012 fish, and most of the 2011 fiish would have been protected by the 17-inch minimum size limit in 2015. Growth of three- and four-year-old Walleye had been relatively slow. With the rate of growth seen among those fish, fish from the 2012 year class may remain protected by the 17-inch minimum size limit through 2016. Fish from the 2011 year class will probably be available for harvest in 2016.

The 2015 Lake Trout catch was fairly high, and there appeared to have been no need for a special or experimental regulation covering that species in this lake. The long range goal for Lake Trout was exceeded in 2015, and the combined catch in deep and shallow gill net sets was the highest seen in this lake since 1991. Seven year classes, all naturally produced, contributed to the catch, including a relatively strong 2010 year class. Growth of young Lake Trout had been slightly faster than average; five-year-old fish reached a mean length of 14.8 inches by the end of their fifth year. Lake Trout no doubt benefited from the presence of large numbers of dwarf Cisco that provided excellent forage, even for smaller Lake Trout.

Northern Pike were relatively abundant in Sea Gull Lake in 2015. The combined catch in deep and shallow gill net sets (1.08 fish/set) was above the normal range for this type of lake, and was the second highest ever seen in this lake historically. Northern Pike numbers appear to have increased significantly between 2003 and 2009, and they have remained fairly high since. Seven year classes contributed to the 2015 catch, and fish as old as eight years were taken. Growth of young Northern Pike taken in 2015 appeared to have been slow; four-year-old fish reached a mean length of 20.7 inches by the end of their fourth year, compared to an area average of 23.6 inches in this type of lake. Although Northern Pike in this lake benefit from cold waters and abundant Cisco and Lake Whitefish, the lack of nearshore forage fish (particularly Yellow Perch) may limit growth of younger Northern Pike.

The 2015 Smallmouth Bass catch seemed low for a lake of this type, but was similar to most catches seen in this lake since 1971. Although bass numbers may have been low, the lake seemed to support a high-quality population, with all fish taken exceeding 12 inches in length. Reproductive success appeared to have been limited, with no fish younger than five years collected.

Although anglers had reported catching Black Crappie in Sea Gull Lake for the past several years, this was the first DNR Fisheries survey to capture the species. Trap nets have usually not been used to survey this lake, but some were used in 2015 to follow up on crappie reports. A few Black Crappie were taken, although most were small.

Dwarf Cisco were apparently abundant in 2015. Cisco in this lake have been too small in most years to show up in standard gill nets (and none were taken in that gear in 2015), but they can be sampled using small-mesh gill nets. The small-mesh gill net catch in 2015 was one of the higher catches seen in this lake, and was well above the normal range for that gear when used in lakes in this area. Cisco taken in small-mesh gill nets ranged in length from 2.9 to 5.9 inches. A few small Lake Whitefish (4.4-5.9 inches) were also taken in that gear.

The 2015 Lake Whitefish catch in deep and shallow gill net sets combined (5.5 fish/set) was similar to most catches seen in this lake historically, and fell within the upper end of the normal range for a lake of this type. Many of the Lake Whitefish collected were under 12 inches in length, and would have provided additional coldwater forage for Lake Trout and Northern Pike.