Upper Panasa Lake

How big is Upper Panasa Lake?

How deep is Upper Panasa Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Upper Panasa Lake?

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Are there boat launches on Upper Panasa Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Upper Panasa Lake?

Upper Panasa Lake is a small, eutrophic lake located one mile south of Calumet, Minnesota in the Mississippi River watershed. The lake has a total surface area of 174 acres and a maximum depth of 13 feet. Water clarity has been poor, as Secchi disk transparency has ranged from 1.5 to 4.5 ft. The inlets originate from Mud Lake, a swamp drainage, and from a sewage treatment plant. The outlet, Upper Panasa Creek, flows into Lower Panasa Lake. The lake has a limited plant community due to poor water clarity and the shorelines have been disturbed by past mining activity.

The lake management plan was last revised in 2002. Northern Pike were the primary management species and Black Crappie and Walleye were secondary management species. The goals of the lake management plan were to maintain the Northern Pike gill net catch rate at 7.0 fish/net and maintain the Black Crappie trap net catch at 2.1 fish/net or gill-net catch at 2.5 fish/net.

A population assessment was conducted in August of 2014 to assess the status of the fish community. This assessment consisted of 3 gill net sets and 9 trap net sets.

Yellow Perch were the most commonly captured fish and the gill net catch was high compared to similar lakes and was the highest catch reported for the lake. Perch were generally too small to interest anglers, as length ranged from 5.3 to 10.4 inches and averaged 6.4 inches. Four year classes were present (2-5) and growth was near the statewide average with individuals exceeding 7 inches in five years.

Upper Panasa Lake has a history of high Black Bullhead catches. Black Bullhead were common in 2014 as the gill net catch was high compared to similar lakes. Size structure was poor, as Bullhead ranged from 5.0 to 10.3 inches and averaged 7.9 inches.

Northern Pike were the primary gamefish present and the catch was typical for the lake class and similar to past catches on Upper Panasa. This catch met the lake management plan goal set in 2002. Size structure was moderate as Pike ranged from 18.2 to 27.2 inches and averaged 23.6 inches. Age analysis identified 5 year classes (1-5) and growth was fast as Pike exceeded 24 inches by age 4.

Other species present include Brown Bullhead, Golden Shiner, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead. The fish community was representative of a lake with occasional winterkill events. No fish were estimated to be older than age 5, and no Walleye or Black Crappie were captured, suggesting winterkill in the recent past. The winter of 2008/2009 included several heavy late winter snowfalls and a later than normal ice out date. It is likely that a winterkill event took place and the fish community is still in recovery.

Upper Panasa Lake supports invasive Chinese Mystery snails. Anglers and boaters are reminded to help stop the spread of invasive species by removing all aquatic plants from boats, trailers, and equipment. All drain plugs must be removed and live and bait wells must be drained before leaving the access. Anglers and boaters are encouraged to power wash and thoroughly dry all equipment prior to use in another water body.

What is the average air temp for Upper Panasa Lake?