Ham Lake

How big is Ham Lake?

How deep is Ham Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Ham Lake?

What are the closest cities to Ham Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Ham Lake?

Ham Lake is a small, bog stained lake connected to the east side of Fishtrap Lake. The lake has little development and the south shore has been protected as part of a Scientific and Natural Area. Almost the entire shoreline of the lake is floating bog/wet meadow plant communtity except at the access and homeowner's boat dock. Anglers gain access to the lake off of the side of road on the west shore of the lake. Black crappies, bluegills, northern pike, and largemouth bass draw most of the anglers to the lake. Fishing pressure seems to be highest in winter and late spring. Despite the high abundance of several of the panfish species, nice size fish were common. A fair number of the bluegills and pumpkinseeds were over 6 inches in length while the average size of the black crappies was 9 inches. Quality size largemouth bass can be found with some luck and patience. Ham Lake also has some nice size northern pike with an average size of just under 2 pounds seen in the survey. Yellow perch numbers were normal when compared to similar type lakes and were small by most anglers standards. Perch can be an important food species for the northern pike and bass in the lake. They can also be instrumental in helping maintain a well balanced bluegill population with fast growing, quality individuals. All three species of bullheads, black, brown, and yellow, were seen in the survey. Yellow bullheads were the most abundant of the bullheads and all of the species had quality size fish over 11 inches in the survey catches. Other fish species in the fish community include bowfin or dogfish, hybrid sunfish, and white suckers. Neascus or black spot was common on the bluegills. Neascus is a tremode or parasite that is usually found in the skin of the fish. The life cycle of the parasite also includes snails and fish-eating birds, such as herons and bitterns. Skinning the fish removes most of the parasites and cooking will kill the rest. Humans can not be infested. With the small size of Ham Lake, heavy fishing pressure can easily change the size structures of some of the fish populations. Anglers are encouraged to harvest small northern pike under 24 inches in length and release the larger ones. Limiting harvest of the larger panfish is also encouraged to maintain a balanced fish community.

What is the average air temp for Ham Lake?

Are there any state parks near Ham Lake?