Portage Lake

How big is Portage Lake?

How deep is Portage Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Portage Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Portage Lake?

Portage Lake is a designated stream trout lake that has been managed for Splake since 1982. The lake is located near the mid-Gunflint Trail area, about 35 miles from the City of Grand Marais. The most direct public access to the lake is from a 0.10-mile portage trail from the east end of Iron Lake which connects with the northern arm of Portage Lake.

The 2022 standard lake survey was the last of three scheduled in the current (2009) lake management plan to evaluate a shift to alternate-year Splake stocking that began in 2011. Goals for the population under the new stocking regime are to maintain a minimum Splake gill net catch of 10.0 fish/set, including the presence of two catchable-sized (over 10 inch) year classes in each survey. This was the second survey to sample a Splake population supported only by alternate-year stocking.

Management goals for Splake were not met in this survey. Although the gill net catch fell below the abundance goal, it remained similar to past Splake catch rates observed when the lake was stocked on an annual basis. The 2022 sample was dominated by three-year-old Splake which averaged about 14 inches at the time of capture. Growth rates of age-3 fish were considered average for the area; the mean length at the end of their third year was 12.90 inches, compared to an area mean 12.6 inches at that age. The catch of age-1 Splake from the 2021 stocking was low; however, those fish averaged seven inches in length when sampled and may not have been fully susceptible to survey nets at that time. Survival of Splake beyond age-4 has appeared low in Portage Lake, and none of the Splake stocked in 2017 (age-5 in 2022) were captured in this survey.

White Sucker and Green Sunfish are the primary undesirable fish species (for stream trout management) established in Portage Lake. Both species can compete with Splake for invertebrate forage, although Splake have been known to feed on small Green Sunfish. White Sucker have been abundant in most surveys of Portage Lake and the 2022 gill net catch suggested a similarly abundant population remained present. Green Sunfish abundance has appeared low in most gill net surveys of the lake, and only one fish was sampled in 2022.

Are there any state parks near Portage Lake?