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Frequently Asked Questions About Kelso Lake, MN
- How big is Kelso Lake?
- How deep is Kelso Lake?
- What kind of fish can you catch in Kelso Lake?
- Are there places to stay in the Kelso Lake area?
- Are there places to eat and drink near Kelso Lake?
- What is the average air temp for Kelso Lake?
- Are there any state parks near Kelso Lake?
How big is Kelso Lake?
How deep is Kelso Lake?
What kind of fish can you catch in Kelso Lake?
Other fish species in the lake include White Sucker.
Are there places to stay in the Kelso Lake area?
More Lodging Options
Are there places to eat and drink near Kelso Lake?
History & Status of the Fishery
Kelso Lake is a 97-acre lake located on a canoe route a short distance inside the BWCAW. Access is from a 13 rod portage from Sawbill Lake or a 10 rod portage from Alton Lake. The lake has a maximum depth of 16 feet with bog stained water that has a secchi disc visible to a depth of 4.5 feet. The lake receives a fair amount of traffic from canoeists traveling through to other destinations in the wilderness but fishing pressure is light. The fish population in Kelso Lake consists of northern pike, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, white sucker and bluegill..
A lake survey in 2007 collected northern pike in average numbers compared to other lakes in this lake class. The size of northern pike collected in 2007 was below average with a mean weight of 1.14 pounds. There were no northern pike larger than 2.9 pounds collected in the survey.
Yellow perch were collected in average numbers with approximately one-third of the fish larger than 8.0 inches. Yellow perch up to 10.2 inches were collected in 2007.
One smallmouth bass (14.5 inches) and one young-of-the-year bluegill sunfish (1.1 inches) were sampled for the first time in 2007. Access limitations restricted the type of survey gear used in this investigation so abundances for these two species were not assessed.
Are there any state parks near Kelso Lake?
For more Minnesota State Park information see our State Park Guide.
More Nearby Lakes To Explore
There's more lake's to explore around Kelso Lake...| DISTANCE | ACRES | MAX DEPTH | |
| Handle Lake | 0.8 mi | 14 | 7 ft |
| Sawbill Lake | 1.4 mi | 834 | 45 ft |
| Smoke Lake | 2.1 mi | 158 | 20 ft |
| Alton Lake | 2.3 mi | 969 | 72 ft |
| Flame Lake | 2.9 mi | 51 | 22 ft |
| Ella Lake | 3.2 mi | 53 | 6 ft |
| Ada Lake | 3.3 mi | 23 | 13 ft |
| Burnt Lake | 3.5 mi | 358 | 23 ft |
| Wine Lake | 3.5 mi | 268 | 65 ft |
| Beth Lake | 3.8 mi | 170 | 22 ft |
