Scooty Lake

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Scooty Lake is a 160 acre lake located 15 miles north of Nashwauk, MN in the Mississippi River watershed. The lake has a maximum depth of 75 feet. The water is soft, has fairly low fertility, and is moderately stained. Scooty Lake has two small inlets draining lowland areas on the north and west sides of the lake. The lake also has one outlet that flows to Wolf Lake and the Prairie River system.

The Scooty Lake fish community is typical of many small, infertile lakes in northern Minnesota. The lake is dominated by warm water species, such as Largemouth Bass, sunfish, and Black Crappie. Species diversity is limited and the lake does not support a cold water fish community. The Fisheries Lake Management Plan (LMP) was last revised in 2004. The 2004 LMP listed Largemouth Bass and Black Crappie as the primary management species, and Northern Pike and Walleye as secondary species. A fish survey consisting of trap nets and gill nets was conducted in August of 2019 to determine the status of the fish community and provide information to anglers.

Trap net catches for Largemouth Bass have generally been above average compared to similar lakes, suggesting that bass are an important component of the fishery. Captured bass ranged from 10.1 to 16.1 inches and averaged 12.4 inches. Age estimates suggest an average growth rate with fish averaging 15 inches by age 6. Five year classes were present (ages 1-6) and recruitment appeared inconsistent. Electrofishing was not accomplished in 2019 due to workload constraints due to a late ice out but previous surveys suggest moderate abundance with limited size quality. Good angling opportunities appear to exist for moderate sized bass.

Scooty Lake has a history of relatively low Northern Pike numbers. The 2019 catch remained low compared to similar lakes, and below average for Scooty Lake. Low pike numbers are often desirable, however. Growth is slow and size quality is typically poor when pike occur in high numbers. High pike numbers may also limit production of other gamefish, including Walleye. Size structure was relatively poor in previous surveys, despite apparently low densities, and few fish over the preferred size of 28 inches were sampled. Pike size quality was moderate in 2019, as lengths ranged from 20.6 to 29.2 inches and fish averaged 23.4 inches. Eleven percent of sampled pike exceeded 28 inches. Growth was near the statewide average as fish averaged 22.5 inches by age 4. Five year classes were present (ages 1-6) but recruitment appeared to be inconsistent as most fish belonged to the 2016 year class. Anglers can help maintain or improve size quality by limiting harvest to fish under 22 inches.

Trap net catches for Black Crappie have been typical when compared to similar lakes. The 2019 catch was typical for the lake and exceeded the LMP goal. Black Crappie size structure has varied overtime, suggesting inconsistent year class production. Size quality was very poor in 2003, due mostly to the large proportion of young fish in the sample. Size structure was better in 2019, when crappie ranged from 4.1 to 12.8 inches and averaged 7.2 inches. Growth was near the statewide average as crappie averaged 7.6 inches by age 4. Five year classes were present (ages 1-5) and recruitment appeared consistent in recent years. No fish exceeded age 5, however, suggesting high adult mortality often attributed to angler harvest or poor reproduction prior to 2014.

Bluegill catch rates have been relatively low in recent surveys and the 2019 survey produced the lowest catch on record. Bluegill size structure was relatively poor in most surveys due to very slow growth. Size structure remained poor in 2019, as Bluegill ranged from 3.5 to 8.2 inches and averaged 5.8 inches. Poor size quality may limit the popularity of the fishery.

Lakes with similar habitats rarely support large Walleye populations. Very few Walleye have been sampled in Scooty Lake, despite stocking on several occasions in the 1970's and 1980's. A low-density Walleye population has been maintained by natural reproduction and/or immigration from the Prairie River. Only three Walleye were captured in the 2019 survey and those fish were relatively large, ranging from 23 to 25 inches.

Yellow Perch have not been captured in the last three surveys, and they were sampled in very low numbers in prior surveys. A lack of perch likely limits pike and Walleye.

Other species sampled in past surveys include Hybrid and Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Rock Bass, White Sucker and Yellow Bullhead.

Aquatic Invasive Species were not found in 2019. Anglers and boaters are reminded to help stop the spread of invasive species by removing all aquatic plants from boats, trailers, and equipment. All drain plugs must be removed and live and bait wells must be drained before leaving the access. Anglers and boaters are encouraged to power wash and thoroughly dry all equipment prior to use in another water body.

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