Dragon Lake

How big is Dragon Lake?

How deep is Dragon Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Dragon Lake?

Are there boat launches on Dragon Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Dragon Lake?

Dragon Lake is a 72 acre body of water located approximately 9.4 miles northwest of Isabella. Located in the Superior National Forest, the shoreline and area surrounding Dragon Lake have little private development. There are two access trails from a common parking area on the west end of the lake. Both trails are gravel, with a steep carry-down route to the lake, suitable only for small boat or canoe. There was parking for approximately 4 vehicles in an open area at the top of the hill, with a couple of rustic camp sites in the same area.

The fish sample in 2010 consisted of black crappie, northern pike, walleye, white sucker and yellow perch. Walleye were sampled in below average numbers for northeastern Minnesota lakes with similar characteristics, but within the range seen in previous investigations on Dragon Lake. The size of the walleye sampled was above average at 1.6 pounds (15.7 inches); the largest walleye was 22.1 inches. Fifty-nine percent of the total walleye catch was greater than 16 inches. Walleye stocking was discontinued in 1985, when aging of walleye samples indicated no consistent increase in walleye numbers in stocked year-classes over un-stocked year-classes.

Northern pike were sampled in below average numbers for the lake class. The northern pike average size was 3.1 pounds (22.6inches); the largest northern pike was 34.6 inches. Historically, the northern pike catch has been low with average size fish sampled. The average size (3.1 pounds), in the 2010 sample, was the largest seen in any investigation. Northern pike growth was slow at all ages sampled, compared to northern pike sampled in other Finland area assessments.

The black crappie trap net catch in 2010 was below average for lake class but within the range previously seen in Dragon Lake investigations. The mean weight 0.58 pound was above average in the small sample size (5). Generally, Dragon Lake samples have consisted of small numbers of large black crappie. Natural reproduction appears to be sporadic and poor, as is the case in many of the Finland area lakes with black crappie populations. Growth was slow in the 2010 sample, compared to other Finland area lakes, with an age-5 black crappie measuring 9.9 inches.

The yellow perch catch in 2010 was about average for the lake class, but higher than any recorded in previous investigations of Dragon Lake. The yellow perch size (0.11 pound) was below average for the lake class, but within the range (0.07 - 0.18 pound) seen in previous investigations. The average length of yellow perch in 2010 was less than 6 inches; the largest yellow perch was 7.0 inches.

Dragon Lake is connected by the Little Isabella River, directly or indirectly, to six other lakes in the area. The white sucker population in 2010 was high in Dragon Lake, similar to white sucker samples in previous investigations. The lakes in the Little Isabella River system usually have high white sucker populations.

Young-of-the-year largemouth bass are sometimes sampled in Dragon Lake and also in other lakes in the Little Isabella River system. Largemouth bass adults are rarely caught in the standard sampling gear, because of the difficult access, typical electro-fishing gear cannot be used on Dragon Lake to properly assess the largemouth bass population.

What is the average air temp for Dragon Lake?

Are there any state parks near Dragon Lake?