Ball Club Lake

How big is Ball Club Lake?

How deep is Ball Club Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Ball Club Lake?

Are there boat launches on Ball Club Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Ball Club Lake?

Ball Club Lake is located about 20 miles from the City of Grand Marais and can be accessed from the Ball Club Lake Road, a well-maintained gravel road north of Two Island Lake. There is a concrete boat launch at the lake and a small camping area, with parking for six or seven vehicles. There is no development on the lake.

This survey of Ball Club Lake was completed to update population data for Walleye and Northern Pike and to monitor for the introduction of undesirable fish species to the lake. Ball Club Lake is managed primarily for Walleye, with a long-term goal of maintaining a minimum gill net catch of 6.0 fish/set, including some fish over 20 inches. The secondary management species is Northern Pike, with a long-term goal of maintaining a minimum gill net catch of 1.5 fish/set, and the presence of some fish over 25 inches. Regular Walleye stocking on the lake occurred in the 1970s and 1980s but was discontinued due to sufficient natural reproduction documented in most surveys completed at that time.

Management goals for the Ball Club Lake Walleye population were met in the 2022 standard survey. The gill net catch exceeded the normal range of catches for similar lakes and was the highest observed for Ball Club Lake since 1983. Most of the Walleye sampled in 2022 were small, although one Walleye over 20 inches was captured. The mean weight for Walleye taken in gill nets was low compared to similar lakes in this area, but comparable to mean weights attained in past surveys of this lake. Fair numbers of Walleye were also sampled in 0.75-inch-mesh trap nets. Walleye natural reproduction appeared very consistent over the past ten years. Relatively strong year classes were apparently produced in 2017, 2018, and 2019. The 2021 year class also accounted for about 26% of the combined Walleye sample suggesting an additional strong year class may contribute to the fishery in the coming years. Walleye growth rates had been about average; Walleye average 11.6 inches at the end of their third year, compared to an area mean of 12.1 inches at that age.

Northern Pike were not captured in any sampling gear in 2022. Northern Pike gill net catches in this lake have varied widely and catches of zero fish have occurred in the past. Previously, low catches have always been followed by a quick recovery, with no management intervention. However, this marked the second consecutive survey in which Northern Pike were absent.

Yellow Perch gill net catches have shown an increasing trend over the last several surveys of Ball Club Lake, which could be the result of reduced Northern Pike abundance in the lake. The Yellow Perch gill net catch in 2022 followed the trend of higher catches, although abundance did not appear particularly high when compared to similar lakes in the area. High numbers of non-young-of-year Yellow Perch were also sampled in 0.25-inch-mesh trap nets, a majority of which would have been too small to be captured in gill nets. The Yellow Perch population likely provided a good forage base for Walleye, but few fish were large enough to attract much interest from anglers. The 2022 White Sucker gill net catch was about average for the lake class, and within the range of catches historically observed for the lake. Most of the White Sucker sampled in 2022 were too large to serve as forage for Walleye. Additional species sampled in 0.25-inch-mesh trap nets included Blacknose Shiner and Golden Shiner. Golden Shiners appeared relatively abundant in that gear and may have contributed to the Walleye forage base. No new fish species to the lake were documented in this survey.

Are there any state parks near Ball Club Lake?