Big Ole Lake

How big is Big Ole Lake?

How deep is Big Ole Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Big Ole Lake?

Are there boat launches on Big Ole Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Big Ole Lake?

Big Ole Lake is a 179-acre lake in central Itasca County within the Big Fork River watershed. Big Ole is located approximately 4 miles southeast of Marcell, MN. The lake has a maximum depth of 65 ft and 84 littoral acres. A forest service carry-down access is located on the northeast shoreline. Northern pike gill-net catch was 12.3/net, which was higher than the expected range for similar lakes. Gill-net abundance in past assessments has also generally been high and varied from 8.5 to 10.8/gill net. Size structure was moderate with a with fish up to 34 inches sampled. Growth was slower than statewide averages with fish reaching 24 inches at age eight. Slow growth is likely the result of high abundance and low prey (yellow perch) abundance. Bluegill trap-net catch was 55.7/net, which is within the expected range for similar lakes. Abundance in past assessments varied from 87.0 to 88.5/trap net. Size structure was moderate with good numbers of fish around six inches, but very few fish at eight inches. Growth was similar to lake class averages, and fish up to age 12 were sampled. Black crappie gill-net catch was 2.7/net, which is within the expected range. The trap-net catch was 1.1/net, which was also within the interquartile range of 0.8 to 4.0/net. Size structure was good with fish up to 13 inches sampled. Growth was slower than the statewide averages for ages one to four and similar to statewide averages after age four. Walleye gill-net catch was 0.5/net, which is the same as the first quartile. Abundance in past assessments has also been low and varied from 0.5 to 2.8/gill net. Although only three walleye were sampled in this assessment, they ranged in length from 18 to 27 inches. Yellow perch gill-net catch was 2.2/gill net and was within the interquartile range of 1.0 to 10.3. Size structure was poor with few fish reaching nine inches. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass were sampled in the gill nets; however, gill nets and trap nets do not sample largemouth bass or smallmouth bass effectively. Sample size was too low to make conclusions about size structure. Other species sampled include pumpkinseed sunfish, and warmouth. Lakeshore owners may affect fish populations not only through harvesting fish, but also through land use practices. It is important to leave a 30 to 50 ft buffer strip of native vegetation along the shoreline to prevent erosion and provide habitat for fish and wildlife. Nonfunctioning septic systems can also lead to water quality problems. Good water quality and fish populations are the direct result of good land use practices. Anglers can also help to improve the size structure of the fish community by practicing selective harvest.

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