East LaBelle Lake

How big is East LaBelle Lake?

How deep is East LaBelle Lake?

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

What are the closest cities to East LaBelle Lake?

Are there boat launches on East LaBelle Lake?

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

East LaBelle Lake is a 146-acre, class-34 lake located in western Becker County northeast of the city of Lake Park. A culvert connecting East LaBelle to West LaBelle Lake functions as an outlet during high water events. East LaBelle is a very productive lake and occasionally experiences low dissolved oxygen in the late winter. The lake's fish community has undergone many changes since it was initially surveyed in 1964.

Walleye fry are stocked into East LaBelle Lake annually. Walleye catch rates have been variable since initial surveying, fluctuating between zero and six Walleye per gill net. The 2020 average catch rate was two Walleye per net, similar to the lake's historical average. Sampled Walleye ranged in length from 18.8 to 24.7 inches, averaging 21.3 inches. The lack of smaller sized Walleye in nets indicates poor recruitment of stocked fry in recent years.

Moderate catches of Northern Pike (less than 10 pike per gill net) were documented in early surveys until 1998 when net catches began showing a steady increase. The Northern Pike catch rate increased dramatically in the 2020 survey, averaging about 50 pike per net. This rise in Northern Pike numbers is likely a result of improved spawning opportunity over the past decade due to high water levels. Northern Pike surveyed in 2020 ranged in length from 13.5 to 35.8 inches, averaging 19.3 inches. Pike between 15 and 21 inches were most abundant, accounting for over 73% of total pike catch.

Past surveys documented low to moderate catch rates of Yellow Perch in East LaBelle until the early 2000s when catch rates then started to decline, dropping down to about five perch per net in 2020. Reduced numbers of Yellow Perch over the past decade are likely a consequence of heavy predation by Northern Pike. Yellow Perch sampled in 2020 ranged in length from 4.4 to 8.9 inches, averaging 6.2 inches long.

Similar to Yellow Perch, Bluegill abundance was moderate. Bluegill averaged 5.5 inches long, but fish up to 9 inches long were also found. Approximately 3% of the sampled Bluegill were eight inches or longer, indicating that the population was dominated by small to moderately sized fish.

Few Black Crappie have been sampled in East LaBelle Lake. Sampled Black Crappie ranged in length from 3.7 to 10.8 inches, averaging 8.3 inches.

Bass were found to range in length from 4.8 inches to 17.5 inches.

Additional species sampled in the 2020 survey included Black Bullhead, Brown Bullhead, Golden Shiner, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, and White Sucker. Anglers can help improve East LaBelle Lake's fishery by harvesting smaller fish for eating, specifically Northern Pike under 24 inches long which have become overly abundant in the lake.

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Are there any state parks near East LaBelle Lake?