Bean Lake

How big is Bean Lake?

How deep is Bean Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Bean Lake?

What are the closest cities to Bean Lake?

Are there boat launches on Bean Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Bean Lake?

Bean Lake is a designated stream trout lake located 1.5 miles northwest of Silver Bay and is within Tettegouche State Park. The lake has a carry-in access on the southwest end and can be accessed from the Red Dot ATV/Snowmobile trail. Unregulated brush clearing and illegal ATV use has resulted in significant shoreline erosion near the access and damage to the lake outlet structure. Expensive repairs will be required. There is also a 0.16 mile portage trail connecting the northeast end of Bean Lake to Bear Lake. Bean Lake is managed for Splake and Rainbow Trout with fingerling Splake stocked in the fall of odd numbered years and yearling Rainbow Trout stocked each spring. There is no natural reproduction in Bean Lake of Splake or Rainbow Trout so populations are dependent upon stocking. Due to a short term Splake shortage in the hatchery system in 2017, Rainbow Trout were stocked instead of Splake in the fall of 2017, which impacted the results of this survey.

A lake survey was conducted the week of October 7 2019 to assess the current state of the trout populations. Splake catch was low for the lake with a single Splake sampled in gill nets. The fish sampled was 17 inches long and weighed 1.75 pounds. Three fingerling Splake that had been stocked the week before the survey were also sampled in a trap net. The low catch is likely due to the lack of fish stocked in 2017 and Splake catches may be down until the fish stocked in fall of 2019 grow to catchable sizes. The management plan calls for continued stocking of Splake into the future and hopefully next survey will see numbers increase.

Catch of Rainbow Trout was average for the lake. The fish sampled in gill nets had an average length of 12.5 inches. All but one of the Rainbow Trout in the sample were stocked in spring of 2019 as yearlings and the remaining fish was either stocked in fall of 2017 as a fingerlings or spring of 2018 as a yearling.

The number of White Sucker sampled in 2019 was once again well above average for the lake class. Past assessments revealed similar results of very high numbers with small average size. The high numbers of White Suckers in Bean Lake likely compete with trout and affect the growth potential for trout in this lake. Iowa Darter, Brook Stickleback, Fathead Minnow, Finescale Dace, and Northern Pearl Dace were also sampled during the survey.

Bean Lake gets a high amount of use due to its close proximity to Silver Bay, both summer and winter. Because of a good ATV/snowmobile trail that leads to the lake, many locals ride out to the lake fishing, picnicking or just sightseeing. It is highly regarded for its natural beauty and is a destination for people using the Superior Hiking Trail.

What is the average air temp for Bean Lake?

Are there any state parks near Bean Lake?