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We want to see what you've caught on Sonju Lake.Frequently Asked Questions About Sonju Lake, MN
- How big is Sonju Lake?
- How deep is Sonju Lake?
- What kind of fish can you catch in Sonju Lake?
- What are the closest cities to Sonju Lake?
- Are there places to stay in the Sonju Lake area?
- Are there places to eat and drink near Sonju Lake?
- What is the average air temp for Sonju Lake?
- Are there any state parks near Sonju Lake?
How big is Sonju Lake?
How deep is Sonju Lake?
What kind of fish can you catch in Sonju Lake?
Other fish species in the lake include Common Shiner and White Sucker.
What are the closest cities to Sonju Lake?
Are there places to stay in the Sonju Lake area?
More Lodging Options
Are there places to eat and drink near Sonju Lake?
History & Status of the Fishery
Sonju is a 37 acre lake with a maximum depth of eight feet located four miles north of Finland, MN in Lake County. The lake is on the south side of Sonju Lake Road and is accessed by a 30 yard trail down a steep hill. Maneuvering boats up and down the access is quite difficult; the lake is best fished by canoe or, in winter, through the ice. However, the Sonju Lake Road is not consistently plowed in winter, making alternative transportation necessary for accessing the lake at times.
Sonju's shoreline is mixed forest and bog; the substrate is primarily muck, except some small areas of sand and gravel around the inlets. The fish community includes brook trout, white suckers, golden shiners, and pearl dace. Historically brown trout were stocked in the lake, but brown trout have not been stocked since 2001 and they were not present in the most recent surveys (2009 and 2012).
The 2012 survey found a very low brook trout abundance in Sonju Lake with only 13 brook trout caught. The trout averaged 8 inches and 0.26 pounds; the largest trout sampled was 9 inches and 0.34 pounds. In both the 2009 and 2012 assessments all the trout sampled were yearlings stocked the spring prior to the assessment. Low winter dissolved oxygen levels likely result in annual brook trout winterkills in Sonju.
In contrast to the brook trout, extremely high numbers of white suckers were sampled in 2012. White sucker catch rates were about 30 times higher than average for lakes similar to Sonju. Although high abundances of white suckers are not uncommon in Sonju, the 2012 catch rate was the highest in netting history.
What is the average air temp for Sonju Lake?
Are there any state parks near Sonju Lake?
For more Minnesota State Park information see our State Park Guide.
More Nearby Lakes To Explore
There's more lake's to explore around Sonju Lake...DISTANCE | ACRES | MAX DEPTH | |
Lake Twenty Three | 1.1 mi | 52 | 23 ft |
Cramer Homestead Lake | 2.1 mi | 26 | 22 ft |
Blesener Lake | 3.1 mi | 18 | 11 ft |
Doyle Lake | 3.1 mi | 87 | 4 ft |
Balsam Lake | 3.8 mi | 221 | 18 ft |
Hanson Lake | 4.2 mi | 284 | 100 ft |
Benson Lake | 4.5 mi | 19 | 36 ft |
Leskinen Lake | 5.1 mi | 33 | 4 ft |
Cramer Lake | 5.8 mi | 68 | 4 ft |
Kowalski Lake | 6.1 mi | 13 | 32 ft |