Wolf Lake

How big is Wolf Lake?

How deep is Wolf Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Wolf Lake?

Are there boat launches on Wolf Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Wolf Lake?

What aquatic invasive species are found in Wolf Lake?

During the winter of 2013-2014, a suspected winterkill on Big Wolf Lake was confirmed by observations of dead northern pike, bluegill, and yellow perch under the ice. The following spring, a winterkill assessment was conducted. During this assessment, only black bullhead, northern pike, and common carp were sampled in trap nets. The evaluation was that the winterkill was likely moderate to severe. Walleye were stocked following the winterkill. It was thought that other primary and secondary species would re-stock themselves through upstream and downstream migration.

A standard fisheries survey (summer gill netting and trap netting) was conducted at Big Wolf Lake during the week of 7/13/2015. Water clarity was very low with a secchi disc reading of 1.2 ft. The cause of the poor water clarity was thought to be the result of an algae bloom. Dissolved oxygen, measured in parts per million (ppm), was adequate near the surface (13.6 ppm), but very poor throughout the bottom four feet (0.6 ppm). Eurasian watermilfoil was discovered in Big Wolf Lake in 2005.

Northern pike gill net catches averaged 35.5/net, which was more than four times the expected rate. The high number of northern pike could have been the result of surviving the 2014 winterkill or could have been the result of migration. The average size of pike sampled in gill nets was 20.3 inches. The smallest was 12.1 inches and the largest was 32.9 inches. Although average size of fish was on the smaller side, northern pike numbers are at record highs. While Big Wolf Lake is prone to winterkill, boom/bust fisheries management has provided some exceptional northern pike angling and spearing opportunities in the future.

Yellow perch gill net catches averaged 49/net, which nearly doubled the expected rate for Big Wolf Lake. The average size of yellow perch, sampled in gill nets, was 5.6 inches. The minimum length was of 5.2 inches and a maximum length was 7.3 inches. All aging structures collected from yellow perch were thought to be from age-1 fish, suggesting a large year class was able to flourish following the winterkill of 2014. While yellow perch in Big Wolf Lake may not be of an acceptable size to anglers, they are an important forage species for predators.

Walleye fry (262,340) were stocked into Big Wolf Lake following the winterkill in 2014. No walleye were sampled during the 2015 standard survey. Walleye tend to do poorly in systems with pike numbers greater than 8/net, and in the case of Big Wolf Lake, northern pike were recorded at four times that number. Though the lake was stocked with walleye, the high numbers of northern pike may limit the abundance of walleyes in Big Wolf Lake.

No black crappies were sampled in gill nets or trap nets, during the 2015 netting survey. It is likely that the winterkill negatively impacted the crappie population and it appears that crappies were unable to restock themselves through migration. Future management action may involve the stocking of black crappies into Big Wolf Lake following winterkill.

Bluegill trap net catches averaged 2.3/net, which was near expected levels for Big Wolf Lake. The average size of bluegill netted was 3.6 inches, with a maximum length being 4.3 inches. These fish will likely not contribute to a catchable fishery for another 2-3 years.

Largemouth bass were sampled with boat electrofishing during spring of 2015. Four largemouth bass were sampled (3.4/hour). The average size of bass was 5 inches, with a maximum length of 5.3 inches. Similar to bluegill, the largemouth bass may not contribute to a catchable fishery for another 2-3 years. Big Wolf Lake will continue to be managed as a boom/bust fishery with an emphasis on species such as northern pike, walleye, black crappie, and yellow perch.

Black bullhead trap net catches averaged 26.9/net, which was near expected levels. The average size of bullheads was 5.8 inches with a maximum length of 12 inches. It appears that a few bullheads survived the winterkill in 2014, and subsequently reproduced to create the current population. The number of bullheads in the lake may be kept in check by the high numbers of pike present.

Common carp were sampled with gill nets (0.5/net) and trap nets (5.7/net) during the 2015 standard survey on Big Wolf Lake. The gill nets sampled one young-of-year carp (3.9 inches), while the trap nets sampled small (3.0 - 4.6 inch) fish. No adult carp were sampled. A few carp may have survived the winterkill or may have migrated into the lake to produce the young carp that were sampled.

What is the average air temp for Wolf Lake?