Grace Lake

How big is Grace Lake?

How deep is Grace Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Grace Lake?

What are the closest cities to Grace Lake?

Are there boat launches on Grace Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Grace Lake?

Grace Lake is an 860-acre lake with a maximum depth of 42 feet located 10 miles southeast of Bemidji in Beltrami County. There is a DNR-owned public water access with a concrete ramp and parking for 15 vehicles/trailers located on west shore of the lake off of County Road 4. The lakeshore is heavily developed with homes and cabins. Grace Lake is managed for Walleye, Northern Pike, and Yellow Perch.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has classified Minnesota lakes into 43 different lake classes based on physical characteristics and the fish population present in the lake. Grace Lake is in lake class 27. The following discussion makes comparisons between Grace Lake and other class 27 lakes in the state. Other Bemidji area lakes in this class include Big Turtle, Andrusia, and Blackduck Lakes.

Grace Lake is one of the more popular Walleye lakes in the Bemidji area. The lake is stocked with Walleye fingerlings on an annual basis. The 2015 Walleye catch rate of 12.33/gill net is well above the normal range found in similar lakes (3.25/gill net to 8.81/gill net). The average size of Walleye captured was 18.34 inches in length and 2.21 lbs/fish, with Walleye up to 27.17 inches in length captured in the survey.

The Northern Pike catch rate of 9.25/gill net was just above the range found in similar lakes (2.76/gill net to 9.00/gill net). Northern pike captured averaged 22.02 inches in length and 2.33 lbs/fish, which was within the normal range found in similar lakes (1.57 lbs/fish to 2.75 lbs/fish). Northern pike up to 29.21 inches in length were captured in the survey.

Nighttime electrofishing targeting Largemouth Bass was conducted as part of the 2015 survey. The electrofishing catch rate of 64.19 bass/hour is a fairly high catch rate for the Bemidji area, indicating an abundant bass population. The average size of bass captured was 14.45 inches, with bass up to 18.50 inches in length captured in the survey.

While Bluegill have gained the attention of anglers on Grace Lake in the past, the 2015 survey showed that Bluegill numbers and size had declined since the previous survey in 2010. The trap net catch rate (4.08/TN) and the average size (0.10 lbs/fish) were both below the normal range found in similar lakes. The decline in Bluegill abundance since 2010 is likely related to high levels of angler harvest and size selectivity (keeping the largest Bluegill caught). Bluegill anglers may want to give Grace Lake a pass for the time being and focus their efforts on one of the many quality panfish lakes in the Bemidji area. Black Crappie are also present in Grace Lake, but have been captured in very low numbers in this and previous surveys.

The Yellow Perch catch rate (76.17/gill net) was well above the normal range found in similar lakes (7.00/gill net to 46.33/GN). Consistently high perch abundance is likely the reason this lake can sustain relatively high densities of three major predator species; Walleye, Northern Pike and Largemouth Bass. The average size of perch captured in the 2015 survey was 7.27 inches in length, with a small proportion of the catch exceeding 9 inches in length. Yellow Perch up to 10.55 inches in length were captured in the 2015 survey.

What is the average air temp for Grace Lake?

Are there any state parks near Grace Lake?