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Frequently Asked Questions About Pennington Mine Lake, MN
- How big is Pennington Mine Lake?
- How deep is Pennington Mine Lake?
- What kind of fish can you catch in Pennington Mine Lake?
- Are there places to stay in the Pennington Mine Lake area?
- Are there places to eat and drink near Pennington Mine Lake?
- What are the fishing regulations for Pennington Mine Lake?
- What is the average air temp for Pennington Mine Lake?
How big is Pennington Mine Lake?
How deep is Pennington Mine Lake?
What kind of fish can you catch in Pennington Mine Lake?
Other fish species in the lake include Hybrid Sunfish.
Are there places to stay in the Pennington Mine Lake area?
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Are there places to eat and drink near Pennington Mine Lake?
What are the fishing regulations for Pennington Mine Lake?
There are specific fishing regulations Pennington Mine 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?
What aquatic invasive species are found in Pennington Mine Lake?
Join us in the fight to prevent the spread of invasive species These sneaky creatures can hitch a ride on boats, clinging onto propellers, anchor lines, and trailers. They can even survive in hidden places like bilge water and ballast tanks, or disguise themselves in dirt and sand that sticks to nets, buckets, anchors, and waders. But don't worry, we have the power to stop them in their tracks with just a few simple steps. So let's do our part and protect our waters from these unwanted invaders.
History & Status of the Fishery
Pennington Mine Pit Lake is a former open pit iron mine located north of Ironton that has filled with water. Together with the connected Mahnomen Mine Pit Lake this complex is the largest mine pit lake in the Cuyuna Range with a total surface area of 320 acres. The deepest water in Pennington is over 250 ft. The water is very clear with visibility to a depth of nearly 30 ft. A concrete boat launch is located on the west end of Pennington Mine. A channel on the northeast end of Pennington connects to Mahnomen Mine. Pennington is within the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area.
Pennington is a designated stream trout lake. Designated stream trout lakes have additional angling regulations. Be sure to consult the current Minnesota Fishing Regulations book for regulations, seasons, and possession limits before fishing designated trout waters.
A survey of the fish community and aquatic habitat in Pennington Mine Pit Lake was conducted in 2010. The fish community was assessed with 3 gill net and 3 trap nets. The total catch in the gill nets was 4 fish per set, and this was low compared to other Cuyuna mine pit lakes where average gill net catches have ranged from 2 to 63 total fish in recent surveys (median of 9.7 fish per net). Only two species were captured in the gill nets: rainbow trout and northern pike. The rainbow trout (3 per gill net) were all age-1 fish from the spring 2010 stocking of 20,062 rainbow yearlings and ranged in length from 9 to 11 inches. With an average weight at capture of 0.5 lbs, the rainbow trout did show some growth after stocking. The April 5 stocking of 10,500 yearlings had an average weight of 0.3 lbs and the May 3 stocking of 9,562 yearlings had an average weight of 0.4 lbs at stocking. Two of the northern pike captured in the gill nets were 33 inches long, and the third was 28 inches long for an average weight of 7 lbs per fish.
Bluegills were the most common fish in the trap nets with average catch of 55 per set. Bluegills ranged from 3 to 6 inches long. Rock bass were the second most abundant species in the trap nets at 2.7 per net. The catch of other species was fewer than 2 fish per trap net.
Several other fish species were found in a concurrent survey of the connected Mahnomen Mine Pit Lake that were not found in Pennington. These species included: bowfin, burbot, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, and yellow bullhead. All of these species could likely be found in Pennington.
Temperature and oxygen conditions suitable for trout occurred from a depth of about 16 ft down to about 42 ft. The water was extremely clear with visibility about 30 ft. The water chemistry had low phosphorus and chlorophyll, but had fairly high ionic strength and alkalinity.
Near shore substrates were primarily sand with some gravel and cobble. Submerged trees which extend nearly to the surface are common in areas of medium depth - about 10 to 30 ft deep.
Rainbow trout were first stocked into Pennington Mine Pit in 1982. Since the early 1990's usually about 20,000 spring yearling rainbow trout have been stocked annually. Starting in 2011 Pennington is scheduled to receive 15,000 rainbow trout yearlings annually. Some of the Pennington quota has been stocked into the connected Mahnomen Mine Pit (18-0440-00) in recent years. Trout stocked in the Mahnomen complex are recorded as being stocked into Pennington.
See the Mahnomen Mine Pit Lake (18-0440-00) 2010 survey report for more survey information on this complex of mine pit lakes.
