Swamper Lake

How big is Swamper Lake?

How deep is Swamper Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Swamper Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Swamper Lake?

Swamper Lake is a small, shallow lake that has been primarily known for producing large numbers of small northern pike. Bluegill were established as the primary management species in this lake in the 2001 lake management plan after previous attempts to management the lake for walleye were deemed to have failed. Management of the lake for bluegill (and northern pike) continued in the 2010 management plan revision. This was the first of two assessments scheduled in the 2010 plan to determine whether stocked bluegill had successfully reproduced, whether management goals for northern pike had been met, and whether a natural walleye population would persist.

No bluegill were collected in 2013, suggesting long term survival of previous stockings had been poor, and that little or no natural reproduction had occurred. It appeared that the attempt to manage this lake for bluegill had failed. Although a few pumpkinseed sunfish and rock bass were present in 2013, they were too small to have provided any fishing opportunities.

Northern pike were present in fair numbers in 2013, with some fish larger than 20 inches available. The 2010 management plan established goals for northern pike of a minimum gill net catch of 3.0 fish/net, with a minimum mean weight of 1.5 lb/fish. The 2013 gill net catch fell just short of the catch goal, but met the size goal. Four year classes contributed to the catch, with the 2010 year class accounting for half the fish taken. Growth of young fish had been somewhat faster than average; fish reached a mean length of 17.8 inches by the end of their third year, compared to a local average of 16.2 inches.

The 2013 walleye gill net catch was the highest ever seen in this lake, and exceeded the normal range for the lake class. Many year classes, all naturally produced, contributed to the catch, including what appeared to have been fairly strong year classes produced in 2009 and 2008. Walleye growth had been about average for the area; four-year-old fish reached a mean length of 13.8 inches by the end of their fourth year. It was clear that walleye had not only persisted in Swamper Lake in the absence of stocking, but had developed a fairly high-quality population capable of supporting some good fishing.

Forage for walleye and northern pike appeared to have been limited. The yellow perch gill net catch fell well below the normal range for the lake class, and few were taken in trap nets. White sucker were also not abundant, and most would have been too large to have been taken by any but the largest northern pike in the lake. No minnows were collected in 0.25-in-mesh trap nets.

Are there any state parks near Swamper Lake?