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Frequently Asked Questions About Orono Lake, MN
- How big is Orono Lake?
- How deep is Orono Lake?
- What kind of fish can you catch in Orono Lake?
- Are there places to stay in the Orono Lake area?
- Are there topographical lake maps available Orono Lake?
- Are there boat launches on Orono Lake?
- Are there places to eat and drink near Orono Lake?
- What is the average air temp for Orono Lake?
How big is Orono Lake?
How deep is Orono Lake?
What kind of fish can you catch in Orono Lake?
Other fish species in the lake include Bluntnose Minnow, Brook Silverside, Common Shiner, Hybrid Sunfish, Iowa Darter, Johnny Darter, Shorthead Redhorse, Silver Redhorse, Spottail Shiner, Trout-Perch and White Sucker.
Are there places to stay in the Orono Lake area?
More Lodging Options
Are there topographical lake maps available Orono Lake?
Are there boat launches on Orono Lake?
Are there places to eat and drink near Orono Lake?
Explore the Orono Lake area in a RV
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Elk River, MN
What aquatic invasive species are found in Orono Lake?
Join us in the fight to prevent the spread of invasive species These sneaky creatures can hitch a ride on boats, clinging onto propellers, anchor lines, and trailers. They can even survive in hidden places like bilge water and ballast tanks, or disguise themselves in dirt and sand that sticks to nets, buckets, anchors, and waders. But don't worry, we have the power to stop them in their tracks with just a few simple steps. So let's do our part and protect our waters from these unwanted invaders.
History & Status of the Fishery
Orono Lake is a 281-acre reservoir in southeast Sherburne County. It formed by a dam on the Elk River at the City of Elk River. The lake was drawn down in 1999 to allow dredging of accumulated sediment in selected areas. Adult black crappie and bluegill were stocked between 1999-2003 to re-establish the populations. Daytime electrofishing was conducted in spring 2000 and 2003 to survey the fish populations; and trap nets were used in spring 2001-2003 to further evaluate the recovery of the fishery. This was the first full survey since 1984.
The most abundant species in gill nets were black bullhead, shorthead redhorse, white sucker, yellow bullhead and yellow perch. All of these were within the range of expected values for lakes similar to Orono, except for shorthead redhorse, which were above the normal range. All of these species are common in the Elk River and naturally exist in Orono Lake.
Important sport species such as walleye and northern pike were less abundant but still within the range of expected values and anglers can expect to catch an occasional walleye and northern pike. Twenty percent of northern pike were greater than 24 inches in length.
Electrofishing in 2008 found many smallmouth bass, which ranged in size from five to 19 inches. Largemouth are also present but smallmouth are more prevalent as is the case for the Elk River also.
Overall, catches were light in trap nets. Previous trap net assessments sampled few fish and it is unclear why net catches are low. The most abundant species in trap nets were black crappie and silver redhorse. When bluegill were caught in low numbers in 2003, electrofishing showed that bluegill were captured at a rate of 61.9/hour. Progeny from these fish should provide populations into the future.
Black crappie were present in modest numbers and ranged from 5 to 13 inches in size. Anglers can expect to catch an occasional large crappie.
The survey marked the first occurrence of channel catfish. Two small fish less than eight inches were taken in trap nets. Previously, catfish were found below the Orono Lake Dam.
It appeared that most species have recovered from the draw down in 1999. Further stocking does not appear to be necessary.
What is the average air temp for Orono Lake?
More Nearby Lakes To Explore
There's more lake's to explore around Orono Lake...| DISTANCE | ACRES | MAX DEPTH | |
| Twin Lake | 4.8 mi | 40 | 18 ft |
| East Twin Lake | 5.2 mi | 92 | 68 ft |
| Foster Lake | 5.6 mi | 115 | 10 ft |
| Birch Lake | 5.7 mi | 159 | 18 ft |
| Big Lake | 7.6 mi | 254 | 48 ft |
| Lake Mitchell | 7.9 mi | 170 | 33 ft |
| Burns Lake | 7.9 mi | 95 | 18 ft |
| Diamond Lake | 8.8 mi | 405 | 8 ft |
| Eagle Lake | 8.9 mi | 463 | 18 ft |
| Lake Ann | 9.0 mi | 183 | 26 ft |
