Surprise Lake
Lake County, Minnesota
Today's Fishing Forecast
Fishing looks to be moderately active with peak fishing times around 2-4 PM. SEE MORE
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We want to see what you've caught on Surprise Lake.Frequently Asked Questions About Surprise Lake, MN
- How big is Surprise Lake?
- How deep is Surprise Lake?
- What kind of fish can you catch in Surprise Lake?
- Are there places to stay in the Surprise Lake area?
- Are there boat launches on Surprise Lake?
- Are there places to eat and drink near Surprise Lake?
- What is the average air temp for Surprise Lake?
- Are there any state parks near Surprise Lake?
How big is Surprise Lake?
How deep is Surprise Lake?
What kind of fish can you catch in Surprise Lake?
Other fish species in the lake include Blacknose Shiner, Common Shiner, Creek Chub, Golden Shiner, Iowa Darter, Johnny Darter, Tadpole Madtom and White Sucker.
Are there places to stay in the Surprise Lake area?
More Lodging Options
Are there boat launches on Surprise Lake?
Are there places to eat and drink near Surprise Lake?
History & Status of the Fishery
Surprise Lake is 37.7 acres, has a maximum depth of 10 feet, and is located approximately 10 miles northwest of Isabella. There are two access routes to the lake. The first access is a 300 foot carry-down trail to the northwest shore of the lake off of USFS Road #386 (Kelly Loop Road). The second access is a short 50 foot carry-in to the east shore of the lake at the end of a spur road from USFS Road #386. There is a backcountry campsite with picnic table and fire pit at the end of the spur road and start of the access trail.
The Northern Pike catch was near average for similar lakes in the Finland area. A total of 24 pike were caught ranging in length from 12.2 inches to 36.7 inches with an average length of 23 inches. Growth of Northern Pike was fast for the area, and natural reproduction currently sustains the population with eight different ages sampled in 2019.
Walleye catch was average compared to similar lakes in the area with a total of seven Walleye sampled. The average length of Walleye was 23.2 inches and weight was 4.6 pounds. The largest Walleye sampled was 27.6 inches and 7.2 pounds. Growth of Walleye was fast for the area, but natural reproduction appears to be sporadic as there were multiple missing year classes.
A total of nine Largemouth Bass were sampled with the survey gear on Surprise Lake. Length of bass ranged from 5.3 inches to 18.5 inches with an average length of 13.9 inches. Seven of the Largemouth Bass were over 11 inches in length. Young of the year Largemouth Bass were also collected with small mesh trap nets.
Standard trap nets sampled 14 Bluegill with an average length of 4.6 inches. Small mesh trap nets caught an additional 39 Bluegill and had an average length of 3.4 inches. Only one Bluegill was longer than 6 inches; this fish was 7.3 inches long.
A total of six Black Crappie were caught with the survey nets. The size of crappie was small ranging from 3.9 inches to 6.1 inches.
In the Finland Area, Bluegill and Black Crappie populations tend to have low densities with good growth rates, but sporadic reproduction and recruitment.
Yellow Perch and White Suckers are important forage species in the lake and they were captured in normal numbers. Other species sampled during the survey included Pumpkinseed, Blacknose Shiner, Fathead Minnow, and Tadpole Madtom.
What is the average air temp for Surprise Lake?
Are there any state parks near Surprise Lake?
For more Minnesota State Park information see our State Park Guide.
More Nearby Lakes To Explore
There's more lake's to explore around Surprise Lake...| DISTANCE | ACRES | MAX DEPTH | |
| Grass Lake | 0.5 mi | 27 | 9 ft |
| Beetle Lake | 1.0 mi | 68 | 123 ft |
| Beetle Lake | 1.0 mi | 29 | 26 ft |
| Dragon Lake | 1.0 mi | 79 | 15 ft |
| Hide Lake | 1.2 mi | 26 | 9 ft |
| Gander Lake | 1.6 mi | 117 | 7 ft |
| Chipmunk Lake | 1.7 mi | 31 | 4 ft |
| Unnamed Lake | 2.0 mi | 10 | |
| Planted Lake | 2.3 mi | 35 | 5 ft |
| Ova Lake | 2.4 mi | 27 |
