Dam Five Lake

How big is Dam Five Lake?

How deep is Dam Five Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Dam Five Lake?

Are there boat launches on Dam Five Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Dam Five Lake?

Dam Five Lake is a 95 acre body of water located approximately 12 miles east-northeast of Isabella, MN. There is a carry-down access to the south end of the lake from a short road off of Lake County Road # 7. There is a camping site established in the general area of the public access, the open space has limited parking (4 vehicles). Depending on the lake level, motoring up the narrow portion of the south end of the lake can be a problem with stumps and boulders. The dam on the outlet washed out in 2001, dropping the lake level approximately 1.5 feet from the 2000 lake level, the lake level had dropped another 0.5 foot by 2003, held that level when measured in 2007 and was back to the 2001 level in this investigation (2010), when beaver activity re-established the lake level.

The lake has a maximum depth of 38 feet, 64 acres littoral, with a secchi disk reading of 12 feet in the brown, bog stained water. Water quality indicated the lake was a moderately hard-water lake with low fertility. Dissolved oxygen is lacking at depths greater than 16 feet, by early August. The predominant substrate was muck ("common") with rubble, boulder, detritus, gravel and sand in order of abundance and rated "rare" over-all. Spawning habitat was considered "poor" for walleye and northern pike, "fair" for largemouth bass and rated "good" for yellow perch.

The fish sample in 2010 consisted of largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker and yellow perch. Walleye were sampled in above average numbers for northeastern Minnesota lakes with similar characteristics. The average size of the walleye sample was 0.8 pound (12.9 inches); the largest walleye was 19.3 inches. Strong representation of the 2007 year-class (70% of the catch) brought the average walleye size down in 2010, although this year-class should produce good walleye fishing in the near future. All walleye aged in 2010 were correlated to stocked year-classes 2009, 2007 and 2001; natural reproduction in Dam Five Lake appears to be minimal.

Northern pike were sampled in below average numbers for the lake class. The northern pike average size was 1.3 pounds (17.5 inches); the largest northern pike was 27 inches. Northern pike assessments on Dam Five Lake have been spotty, with a low number or sometimes no northern pike collected in standard sampling gear. The lake level fluctuations since 2001, due to the outlet dam washout, has made spawning habitat for this species very limited.

A low number of small yellow perch were collected in 2010. Dam Five Lake has a history of producing low numbers of yellow perch, rarely have quality size fish been sampled.

Adult largemouth bass were not collected in standard sampling gear in 2010; however, there were many young-of-the-year largemouth bass caught in small mesh trap nets indicating a reproducing largemouth bass population exists in Dam Five Lake. Previous investigation sampled low numbers of adult largemouth bass, with most of them measuring less than 10 inches in length.

Beaver activity on the outlet of Dam Five Lake has returned the lake to a level closer to the long-term norm. Natural reproduction for all species will benefit having access to spawning areas/habitat that were not accessible for nearly ten years, this could produce more stable fish populations. Walleye fingerlings will be stocked every-odd-year to supplement the limited natural reproduction.

What is the average air temp for Dam Five Lake?

Are there any state parks near Dam Five Lake?