East Leaf Lake

How big is East Leaf Lake?

How deep is East Leaf Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in East Leaf Lake?

What are the closest cities to East Leaf Lake?

Are there boat launches on East Leaf Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near East Leaf Lake?

East Leaf Lake is a 404-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in eastern Otter Tail County approximately five miles north of Henning, MN. East Leaf Lake is connected to Middle Leaf Lake by an unnavigable culvert. The Leaf River outlet is located along the north shoreline. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. East Leaf Lake has a maximum depth of 47 feet; however, 28% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. The secchi disk reading during the 2010 survey was 5.0 feet. Previous secchi disk readings have ranged from 3.8 to 8.0 feet.
Development is located along the east and west shorelines and some dwellings are scattered along the north shoreline. The 1994 lake resurvey report referenced 26 home/cabins along the shoreline. One resort is located along the northwest shoreline. A DNR owned concrete public water access is located along the east shoreline. Shoreline substrates consist primarily of sand and gravel. Emergent vegetation (hardstem bulrush, wild rice, and cattails) is prevalent along the entire shoreline of the lake. Emergent aquatic plants such as bulrush and cattail provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat, and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They protect shorelines and lake bottoms, and can actually absorb and break down polluting chemicals. Emergent plants provide spawning areas for fish such as northern pike, largemouth bass, and panfish. They also serve as important nursery areas for all species of fish. Because of their ecological value, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. To maintain the excellent water quality and angling that this lake has to offer, it is imperative to preserve the quality of the aquatic habitat.
East Leaf Lake can be ecologically classified as a bass panfish type of lake and this is reflected in the assemblage of the fish community. Northern pike, largemouth bass, black crappie, and bluegill are the dominant species in the fish community. The prolificacy of these species can be attributed to the abundance of suitable spawning habitat that is available.
The test-net catch rate for northern pike exceeded the expected range for this type of lake. Northern pike size structure has historically remained poor. In this assessment, only 3% of the pike were 24.0 inches or greater in length. Northern pike growth is slow with an average length of 21.2 inches at five years of age.
The black crappie population is very abundant. Age data from recent surveys indicate that black crappie reproduction is inconsistent. The 2005 year class is strong. This strong year class should provide consistently good crappie fishing for several years. Size structure is excellent with 64% of the crappies measuring 10.0 inches or greater in length. Black crappies attain an average length of 9.8 inches at five years of age.
Bluegill abundance tends to fluctuate; however, the test-net catch rate in this assessment was within the expected range. Bluegill size structure is very good with 66% of the bluegills measuring 7.0 inches or greater in length. Bluegills attain an average length of 7.2 inches at six years of age.
Anglers can maintain the quality of angling by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest encourages the release of medium to large size fish while allowing the harvest of more abundant smaller fish for table fare. Releasing the medium to large fish will ensure that the lake will have enough spawning age fish on an annual basis and will provide anglers with more opportunities to catch large fish in the future.

What is the average air temp for East Leaf Lake?

Are there any state parks near East Leaf Lake?