Malberg Lake

How big is Malberg Lake?

How deep is Malberg Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Malberg Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Malberg Lake?

Malberg Lake is 398 acres and has a maximum depth of 37 feet. The lake is located over 25 miles northeast of Isabella and is found entirely within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Wilderness (BWCAW). The lake is accessible by one of four different portage routes. One portage route is located at the inlet of the Kawishiwi River from Koma Lake to the south with a portage of only 24 rods. There is another portage at the northwestern end of the lake that is a 62 rod portage to the mouth of Record Creek near the Kawishiwi River. A third portage route is located at the northeastern end of the lake and is a 48 rod portage to the Kawishiwi River. The final portage route is from Louse River to the east and is 16 rods in length. Malberg is unique in that the lake is only 398 acres but has over 14.9 miles of shoreline. The reason being the lake has 4 distinct areas, or arms, connected by narrow channels. There are 8 inlets that flow into the lake and one outlet being the Kawishiwi River. There are 12 campsites located on the shore of the lake, along with a dozen islands on the lake.

Malberg Lake has been surveyed twice, once in 1963 and again in 2013. Species collected during the surveys were Bluegill, Lake Whitefish, Tulibee (Cisco), Northern Pike, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Sucker, and Yellow Perch. The fish species composition has not changed much over the course of 40 years. The 1963 survey sampled Tulibees (Cisco) while the 2013 survey did not collect any Tulibees. The 2013 survey was the first time that Smallmouth Bass were sampled in the lake.

While the Walleye catch rate was lower than normal at 3.25 fish/lift, the lake still provides a decent Walleye fishery. Walleye size ranged from 7.3 to 26.2 inches in length averaging 13.8 inches with a mean weight of 1.1 pounds. Growth of Walleye is slower than average by Finland Area standards. Walleye are maintained in the lake by natural reproduction with 9 year classes present in the survey.

Northern Pike gill net catch rate was below average in number of fish with 1.38/lift. Weight was above average for the lake class with 4.4 pounds/fish. Pike sizes ranged from 18.1 to 43.0 inches, averaging a length of 25.3 inches. Growth of Northern Pike was average and 6 age classes were represented.

Lake Whitefish numbers were higher than average at 7.4/lift. They averaged 1.4 pounds and 15.6 inches. Sizes ranged from 12.3 to 18.2 inches. Eight year classes from age-4 to age-11 were present in the sample. Age-4 and age-5 whitefish were the most represented ages accounting for 22 of 38 whitefish collected.

Yellow Perch, Bluegill, Smallmouth Bass, and Rock Bass were also sampled in the lake but at low numbers. Nine Yellow Perch were collect and ranged in size from 5.16 to 9.57 inches with an average weight of 0.16 pounds. Four Bluegills all 2 years old were sampled and averaged 0.06 pounds (3.72 inches). Ten Rock Bass were sampled ranging in size from 4.6 to 8.0 inches and averaged 0.23 pounds. Two Smallmouth Bass were collected, the largest bass was 16.97 inches and weighed 2.43 pounds. Typically, Smallmouth Bass are not well sampled by nets used in this survey. While only two Smallmouth Bass were sampled during the survey, many anglers interviewed during the assessment reported that they were catching good numbers of Smallmouth Bass.

Malberg Lake appears to be a destination point for many travelers of the BWCAW. During the survey many canoes were observed traveling on the lake and most of the campgrounds were occupied. Anglers interviewed on Malberg Lake reported good success while fishing with the majority of the catch comprised of Smallmouth Bass. Several anglers also had caught a few walleye and occasional Northern Pike. All anglers on Malberg Lake must abide by the BWCAW regulations at all times.

What is the average air temp for Malberg Lake?