Lake Minnewawa

How big is Lake Minnewawa?

How deep is Lake Minnewawa?

What kind of fish can you catch in Lake Minnewawa?

What are the closest cities to Lake Minnewawa?

Are there topographical lake maps available Lake Minnewawa?

We have an topograpical map for online viewing near the top of this page. Lake-Link Pro users can download an print a topograpical map of Lake Minnewawa (.pdf format) along with 2,700 more lake maps. For more information on all the benefits of Lake-Link Pro click here.

Lake Minnewawa

Are there boat launches on Lake Minnewawa?

Are there places to eat and drink near Lake Minnewawa?

What are the fishing regulations for Lake Minnewawa?

There are specific fishing regulations Lake Minnewawa that you need to know. For complete fishing regulations visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. To report a violation call (800) 652-9093. Need a Minnesota fishing license?

Lake Minnewawa is a large, relatively shallow lake with bog stained water and abundant aquatic vegetation and is located in northeastern Aitkin County. There is a large state-owned public access with two concrete log ramps on the south side of the lake as well as numerous smaller state and township accesses scattered around the lake. Residential development is heavy with most of the desirable lakeshore developed before 1970 with seasonal cabins or permanent homes. The lake association operates an aquatic vegetation harvester to maintain recreational access for property owners. Lake Minnewawa is managed primarily for Walleye and Bluegill. Special regulations for each of these species have been implemented and reduced bag limits of 3 for Walleye and 10 for Sunfish now exist for Lake Minnewawa.

Due to poor natural reproduction of Walleye from 2004 thru 2010, Walleye fry stocking resumed in 2011. Currently Walleye fry (1.15 million) are being stocked in even years as we assess natural reproduction. Walleye abundance has increased in each of the past three surveys and was 4.1/gill net in 2021, which continues to meet the goal listed in the current management plan of 3/gill net and exceeds the long term average of 3.1/ net. Age analysis of gillnetted fish revealed individuals from 1 to 9 years old and most (69%) were age 3 and 4, from the 2017 and 2018 year classes respectively, both of which were fry stocked year classes. While no fish were observed from the 2019 year class that was not stocked, a reasonable number of fish were observed from the 2020 year class which was also not stocked. Previously, genetic analysis of the spawning Walleye population suggested that about 40% were from natural reproduction. Growth rates for Walleye were good, averaging 14.7 inches in four years.

Bluegill abundance (13.2/trap net) was relatively unchanged from 2018 and is near the long term average of 14.6/trap net. The size structure for Bluegill currently meets management goals. Fifty-six percent of Bluegills were 7 inches or larger. Growth rates were average for the area. Hybrid sunfish are also present in the lake and can reach sizes greater than 10 inches on occasion. The newer Sunfish bag limit regulation (10 fish) should help to maintain this high quality.

Black Crappie increased from 1.7/ gill net in 2018 to 4.3/gill net in 2021, however trap net catches decreased slightly, 1.3/net in 2018 to .8/net in 2021, which is the lowest we've seen. Aside from this year's gill net catch, numbers had been declining in both gears. It's possible that higher Walleye numbers may be influencing crappie abundance, a trend that's been noted in other waters. Mean size was 6.7 inches in gill nets and 8.7 inches in trap nets. Fish up to 12.3 inches were sampled and growth rate was normal.

Northern Pike abundance increased slightly from 3.2/gill net in 2018 to 4.4/gill net in 2021. The catch rate for Northern Pike is now slightly below the long term average for Minnewawa and meets the management goal for the lake (3-6/gill net) for the third survey in a row. However, only ten percent were greater than 24 inches, which is short of the management goal of 25% greater than 24 inches. The average size of pike was 19.4 inches, with a maximum size of 34.1 inches. This condition of lower pike abundance including lower numbers of recruits bodes well for Walleye management in the near future.

Similar to the previous survey Largemouth Bass were sampled in low numbers. Trap nets had a catch rate of (0.8/net) and gill nets had a catch rate of (0.3/net). On 5/12/2021, spring bass electrofishing was conducted for the second time. Largemouth Bass were caught at a rate of 6/hour in 2021, compared with 20.7/hr in 2018. They ranged in length from 8.2 to 15.4 inches with a mean size of 13.6 inches. Water temperatures were still relatively cool during sampling (upper 50's to lower 60's) and may have affected catch rates. Known as a good bass lake, numbers appear to still be recovering from a recent winterkill (2014-15) and several other stressful winters since then. Partial kills on bass in shallower lakes in the Aitkin area are not unusual and often affect just the larger individuals.

The 2021 catch rate of Yellow Perch (3.9/gill net) decreased from 2018 (9.2/gill net) and is on the lower end of the range for similar lakes. Fish ranged from 3.4 to 9.6 inches with a mean of 6.2 inches.

What is the average air temp for Lake Minnewawa?

Are there any state parks near Lake Minnewawa?