Grave Lake

How big is Grave Lake?

How deep is Grave Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Grave Lake?

Are there boat launches on Grave Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Grave Lake?

What are the fishing regulations for Grave Lake?

There are specific fishing regulations Grave 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?

Grave Lake is a class 25 lake located south of Marcell, MN. The lake has one public access and moderate shoreline development. The 2008 lake management plan indicates Bluegill and Walleye as the primary species of management with Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike as secondary species. There is a special five fish sunfish limit on Grave Lake that has been in place since 2001. The goal of the regulation was to protect a quality Bluegill fishery. Data from special sampling that targets Bluegill in the spring can be found in the special assessment reports.

The Bluegill catch rates have ranged from a low of 3.2 fish/trap net in 1994 to a high of 10.3 fish/trap net in 2014. Although the catch was high for Grave Lake it was well below the lake class median of 17.3 fish/net. Bluegill ranged from 3.2 to 8.7 inches with a mean length of 4.2 inches. Age and growth information was not collected in this assessment but was during spring special assessment. Ten age classes from age 2 to 11 were sampled during the spring. The 2006 and 2007 year-classes represented 65% of the sample. Growth was similar to or faster than other class 25 lakes. Fish averaged nearly 9.0 inches after eight years of growth.

The Walleye gill-net catch rate of 4.7 fish/net was the same as the last two assessments. The catch approached the aggressive management goal of 5.0 fish/net, which is the highest catch ever for Grave Lake. In 2014, the sampled fish ranged from 9.5 to 23.4 inches and had a mean length of 15.7 inches. Size structure had PSD, RSD-P, and RSD-M values of 55, 15, and 0, respectively.

Walleye fry have been stocked annually but at a lower rate since 2005 (1,000 fry/littoral acre). Walleye age and growth information was determined from scale, opercle and otolith analysis. Eight year-classes were identified with fish from one to eight years old present. The 2006, 2011, and 2012 year-classes were the most notable year-classes, representing over 80% of the sample. Growth was similar to statewide averages. Age-4 fish averaged 15.2 inches.

Largemouth Bass are difficult to sample using standard summer netting methods because they tend to avoid the nets. Although night electrofishing is a more effective sampling tool for Largemouth Bass it was not conducted in 2014 because the population does not warrant the additional effort on a regular basis. Only one fish was sampled in our gill nets and trap nets and it was 18.9 inches.

Northern Pike catches have fluctuated from 5.0 in 1974 to 12.4 fish/gill net in 1988. In 2014, the catch of 9.8 fish/net was above the lake class 3rd quartile value of 8.5 fish/gill net and management goal of 6.0 fish/gill net. The sampled fish ranged from 15.4 to 35.0 inches and had a mean length of 20.7 inches. Age and growth information was not collected in this assessment.

Black Crappie had never been sampled above the respective 1st quartile values for gill nets and trap nets until the last two assessments. In 2014, the gill-net catch was 3.4/net and the trap-net catch was 0.4 fish/net. The gill-net catch was again above the 3rd quartile value of 2.7 fish/net while the trap-net catch was below the 1st quartile value of 0.7 fish/net. The gill-net sampled fish ranged from 4.3 to 12.1 inches and had a mean length of 6.3. Scale analysis indicated four age-classes were present with fish from age 2 to 5. Growth was similar to other class 25 lakes for the first three years but faster for age-4 and age-5 fish. Black Crappie averaged 9.7 inches after four years of growth.

Prior to the 2014 assessment, Yellow Perch gill-net catch rates had fluctuated from a low of 16.7 fish/net in 1969 to a high of 46.0 fish/net in 2007. In 2014, the catch was the lowest on record at 14.6 fish/gill net but remained above the lake class median of 9.0/net. The sampled fish ranged from 5.4 to 9.5 inches and had a mean length of 6.6 inches. Age and growth information was not collected in this assessment. Yellow Perch are likely more important as a prey species than a species of interest to anglers.

Other species observed during the population assessment included Bowfin, Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Rock Bass, Tullibee, White Sucker and Yellow Bullhead.

In order to maintain or improve fish and wildlife populations, water quality and habitat must be protected. People often associate water quality problems with large-scale agricultural, forestry, urban development or industrial practices in the watershed. In reality, the impact of land use decisions on one lake lot may be relatively small, yet the cumulative impact of those decisions on many lake lots can result in a significant decline in water quality and habitat. For example, removing shoreline and aquatic vegetation, fertilizing lawns, mowing to the water's edge, installing beach sand blankets, failing septic systems and uncontrolled run-off, all contribute excess nutrients and sediment which degrade water quality and habitat. Understanding these cumulative impacts and taking steps to avoid or minimize them will help to insure our quality fisheries can be enjoyed by future generations.

What is the average air temp for Grave Lake?

Are there any state parks near Grave Lake?