Dark Lake

How big is Dark Lake?

How deep is Dark Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Dark Lake?

What are the closest cities to Dark Lake?

Are there topographical lake maps available Dark Lake?

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 Dark Lake (.pdf format) along with 2,700 more lake maps. For more information on all the benefits of Lake-Link Pro click here.

Dark Lake

Are there boat launches on Dark Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Dark Lake?

Dark is a 120 acre lake located in Koochiching County about 1 mile southeast of Gemmel, Minnesota. Dark is accessed via a concrete ramp on the northwest end of the lake, which also has a public fishing pier. The lake has a maximum depth of 50 feet and fairly abundant aquatic vegetation. The brown tinted water has approximately 6 feet of clarity. Dark is stocked with Walleye, but other gamefish species are present in good numbers. A standard fisheries survey was completed in Dark Lake during the summer of 2019 as part of a rotation of regularly scheduled surveys in the International Falls Management Area.

Bluegill abundance is similar to what would be expected for this lake class, but the average size is larger than expected. Bluegill averaged about 7 inches and some up to nearly 9 inches were sampled. Bluegill up to 7 years old were sampled, and growth was significantly faster than other lakes in the International Falls Management Area.

Black Crappie were sampled for the first time ever in Dark Lake during this survey. Abundance was average for this lake class and the average size was good with some fish up to nearly 11 inches in the sample. The vast majority of the Black Crappie were 3 to 5 years old, but two older individuals (6 and 9 years old) were present. The abundance of young fish indicates that this population has likely grown to a self-sustaining population.

Largemouth bass were stocked in 1946 and low numbers have been occasionally captured in the past. Bass sampling was not able to be completed due to equipment failures during the 2019 field season. Largemouth are most likely still present in Dark Lake at numbers that may be of interest to some anglers.

Northern Pike in Dark Lake are abundant and relatively small. The average size is slightly less than 20 inches, and the largest sampled in 2019 was approximately 26 inches. Dark Lake is in the north central Pike management zone, which includes a harvest regulation aimed toward increasing the size structure of these high density Northern Pike populations. The new regulation protects medium sized Pike (22 to 26 inches) while allowing an expanded bag limit of 10 fish, with no more than 2 over 26 inches.

Walleye fingerlings have been stocked in even numbered years in Dark Lake, but abundance is still relatively low. There is a good variety of sizes in Dark Lake, with lengths ranging from 11 to nearly 24 inches during the 2019 survey.

Yellow Perch catch rates were within the expected range for similar lakes. Perch in Dark Lake are relatively small and are primarily a forage species for large predators. However, a few manage to reach sizes that may be of interest to anglers. The largest sampled in 2019 were over 8 inches in length.

Other fish species sampled during the 2019 survey include Bullheads and White Suckers.

What is the average air temp for Dark Lake?

Are there any state parks near Dark Lake?