Fish Trap Lake

How big is Fish Trap Lake?

How deep is Fish Trap Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Fish Trap Lake?

What are the closest cities to Fish Trap Lake?

Are there topographical lake maps available Fish Trap 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 Fish Trap Lake (.pdf format) along with 2,700 more lake maps. For more information on all the benefits of Lake-Link Pro click here.

Fish Trap Lake

Are there boat launches on Fish Trap Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Fish Trap Lake?

What are the fishing regulations for Fish Trap Lake?

There are specific fishing regulations Fish Trap Lake that you need to know. For complete fishing regulations visit the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. To report a violation call (800) 652-9093. Need a Minnesota fishing license?

What aquatic invasive species are found in Fish Trap Lake?

Fish Trap Lake is a 1,164-acre lake located near Lincoln, Minnesota. The lake has 13.12 miles of shoreline, a maximum depth of 42 feet, and a littoral area of 404 acres. A state owned public access is on the northwest portion of the lake. Primary management species include Northern Pike and Walleye. Secondary management species are Black Crappie, Bluegill, and Largemouth Bass. The lake was initially surveyed in 1957 and a total of 47 various surveys or assessments have been conducted on the lake with the most recent being a Targeted Survey assessing fall young of the year Walleye utilizing electrofishing in 2022.

Walleye management on Fish Trap Lake involves spring fry stocking of 3,000/littoral acre or 1,200,000 fry on an annual basis. Flexibility within the management plan allows fall fingerling stocking if fry stocking fails to create a population within management goals as defined by summer gill net catches. Summer surveys are completed every three years with the next survey scheduled in 2024. A decision to stock fingerling Walleyes may also be made due to consecutive poor fall electrofishing catches.

Fall nighttime electrofishing targeting young of year Walleye to document natural reproduction or survival from fry stocking was initiated in 2004 and is done annually on Fish Trap Lake. Fall sampling was conducted on September 18, 2023, to document survival from a spring Walleye stocking of 1,200,000 fry. Six stations scattered throughout the lake were sampled totaling 1.42 hours of on time. A total of 13 young of the year Walleye were captured during sampling for a catch rate of 9.1/hour. Catch rates in prior fall EF assessments ranged from 0/hour to 177/hour of on time. Young of the year Walleye captured averaged 7.0 inches in total length and ranged from 6.2 to 7.8 inches. The median catch rate observed in previous assessments was 5.0/hour with an interquartile range of 1.1/hour to 14.1/hour. Recent fall EF surveys have been ineffective in sampling young of the year Walleye, with catch rates since 2017 ranging from 0/hour (N=3) to 9.13/hour (2023). Two yearling Walleye averaging 11.5 inches were also captured in 2023 for a catch rate of 1.4/hour.

Fall electrofishing catch rates show a fairly strong positive relationship with future year class strength identified in future gill net surveys. However, while fall electrofishing catch rates above 40/hour predict a good year class, significant year classes in gill net surveys were also identified in years with zero or low fall electrofishing catch rates. Overall, the presence of both young of the year and yearling Walleyes in the 2023 catch suggests successive year classes are present and should provide angling opportunities in the future.

Low catch rates in Fish Trap Lake appear to be associated with the introduction of Zebra Mussels or the recent increased abundance of Wild Celery in shallow water areas throughout the lake. In local lakes that are fry stocked or have natural reproduction, young of the year Walleye are typically found on bare sand or gravel substrates. In recent years Fish Trap Lake has had very little shallow habitat with bare hard substrates since Wild Celery has become abundant. However, the sampling crews in 2022 and 2023 noted that Wild Celery abundance was less dense, and some barren substrate was present.

Other species commonly observed during the survey included Bluegill, Bowfin, Common Shiner, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, White Sucker, and Yellow Perch. Other shiner species were also present.

What is the average air temp for Fish Trap Lake?

Are there any state parks near Fish Trap Lake?