Owen Lake

How big is Owen Lake?

How deep is Owen Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Owen Lake?

Are there boat launches on Owen Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Owen Lake?

Owen Lake is a 257-acre lake in northern Itasca County located 12 miles east of Bigfork, MN. The lake has an earthen public access on the south shore and a shoreline consisting of several points, bays and channels. A DNR campground is present on the east shore. Owen is in lake class 32 and other area lakes in this lake class include Eagle, Burrows and Burnt Shanty lakes. Primary fish species include northern pike, largemouth bass, and panfish.

The northern pike catch rate was 10.2/net, which exceeded the expected range for similar lakes and was similar to the catch rate of 11.0/net in 2000. Size structure was good with a good proportion of the population exceeding 24 inches. Growth was similar to the statewide average with fish averaging 28 inches by age 7.

Night electrofishing was conducted for the first time in 2008 and sampled largemouth bass at a rate of 52/hour, indicating a moderately abundant population. Small fish less than 15 inches dominated size structure. Smallmouth bass were sampled for the first time in the 2000 assessment and four fish were sampled by electrofishing in 2008.

Bluegill catch rate was 23.7/trap net, which indicates a moderately abundant population and was similar to the catch rate in 2000 of 23.0/trap net. Size structure was moderate to poor with many fish exceeding 6 inches, but no fish exceeding 8 inches. Growth was slightly faster than the lake class average with fish reaching 7 inches by age eight.

Black crappie gill net catch rate was 0.8/net, which was similar to the lower end of the expected range. The trap net catch rate was 1.9/net and was similar to the middle of the expected range. Size structure in trap nets was good with fish up to 10.5 inches sampled.

Yellow perch gill net catch was 9.7/net, which was similar to the upper end of the expected range. The population consisted of mostly small fish between 5 to 6 inches.

Five walleye were sampled for a catch rate of 0.8/gill net, which was the same as the lake class average. Walleye fingerlings are currently stocked every third year with the most recent stockings occurring in 2002 and 2005. One of the five walleye sampled corresponded to a stocked year class. Based on the results of this assessment, it appears that natural reproduction is maintaining a small walleye population similar to what this lake type is capable of producing.

Other species sampled include golden shiner, pumpkinseed sunfish, and white sucker.

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.

What is the average air temp for Owen Lake?

Are there any state parks near Owen Lake?