Pine Lake

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What kind of fish can you catch in Pine Lake?

Are there boat launches on Pine Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Pine Lake?

Pine Lake is in Ecological Lake Class 16, which consists of 38 lakes in northeast Minnesota that are very large, shallow, and have bog-stained and soft (unmineralized) water. Pine Lake is smaller and more bowl-shaped than most of the lakes in this lake class.

Pine Lake was not thermally stratified on 08/06/07 with a surface temperature of 73 F with an oxygen level of 7.5 ppm and a bottom temperature of 72 F with an oxygen level of 7.2 ppm. One inlet drains a local swamp. The outlet, to Round Lake, has a log and rock jam that limits fish movement. Lake bottom substrates along the shoreline are 30% sand, 30% gravel, 20% boulder, 17% rubble, and 3% muck. Aquatic plants grow to a depth of 4 ft; variable pondweed and floatingleaf pondweed are the most common plants.

The 2007 assessment consisted of 8 gillnet sets and 9 trapnet sets. Six previous investigations consisted of 3-7 gillnet sets and 3-9 trapnet sets (except that no trapnets were used in the 1981 and 1986 investigations). The three earliest investigations (1968, 1973, 1981) were conducted in late August or early September. Recent investigations (1986, 1992, 1999, 2007) were conducted in late July or early August.

Fish populations in 2007 were dominated by bluegill sunfish, yellow perch, northern pike, and walleye. Bluegill numbers have increased in recent investigations.

Bluegill numbers in 2007 (59.3/trapnet) were higher than normal (in the fourth quartile) for this lake class. Bluegill were not captured in the initial 1968 survey and low numbers were captured in subsequent investigations until 1992, when 33/trapnet were caught. Bluegill sizes in the trapnets in 2007 averaged 5.1"; the largest bluegill (caught in a gillnet) was 10.2". Most bluegill were age two (36%) and age four (49%). Growth of young bluegill (through age four) was slower than normal by area standards, while growth of older bluegill was faster than normal.

Yellow perch numbers in 2007 (17.3/gillnet) were in the fourth quartile for this lake class and have gradually increased from the initial perch catch of 6.7/gillnet in 1968. Perch sizes in the gillnets in 2007 averaged 7.0"; the largest perch was 11.1". Perch recruitment was very evenly distributed from ages two through seven, with three year-olds being the best represented. Growth of perch captured in 2007 was normal by area standards (in the second or third quartile, depending on the age).

Northern pike numbers in 2007 (7.9/gillnet) were in the fourth quartile for this lake class and were similar to the median pike catch of 7.0/gillnet in all investigations on this lake. Pike sizes in the gillnets in 2007 averaged 19.6"; the largest pike (caught in a trapnet) was was 34.1". Pike recruitment was very evenly distributed from ages one through six. Growth of pike captured in 2007 was slower than normal by area standards (in the first or second quartile, depending on the age).

Walleye numbers in 2007 (4.8/gillnet) were in the second quartile for this lake class and were similar to the median walleye catch of 4.2/gillnet in all investigations on this lake. Walleye sizes in the gillnets in 2007 averaged 17.2"; the largest walleye was 26.7". Walleye recruitment was evenly distributed from ages two through ten, except that no age six walleye were captured. Growth of walleye captured in 2007 was somewhat slower than normal (in the second quartile) by area standards.

About half of the game fish examined in 2007 were infected with neascus. A few yellow perch also had yellow grub. Neascus (black spot) and yellow grub are common parasites that are native to the area. They cannot infect humans, are often removed by filleting, and are killed at temperatures used to cook fish.

What is the average air temp for Pine Lake?