Ban Lake

How big is Ban Lake?

How deep is Ban Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Ban Lake?

What are the closest cities to Ban Lake?

Are there boat launches on Ban Lake?

Ban Lake area businesses:

Are there places to eat and drink near Ban Lake?

Ban Lake is a 389 acre lake located approximately 7 miles east of Orr, Minnesota. Ban has a maximum depth of about 10 feet and the brown-tinted water has had clarity ranging from 3 to 7 feet in recent surveys. Ban is accessed via a fairly rough road to a newer public access on the northeast side of the lake. Ban is currently managed as a panfish lake, but is also currently being stocked with Walleye fry. This 2019 survey was completed as part of a regular rotation of fisheries surveys in the International Falls Management Area.

The Black Crappie catch rates were down from the previous survey. However, Ban has a history of producing higher catch rates than similar lakes. Even though the 2019 survey results were less than the historic average for Ban, the catch rates were still average for this lake type. Crappie sizes in 2019 averaged 8.5 inches, and the largest in the sample measured over 11 inches. Crappies up to 12 years old were caught, and the aging revealed that growth was slightly slower than the average International Falls area lake.

Bluegill were first sampled in Ban during the 1993 survey, and catch rates have been steadily increasing since then. The 2019 trap net catch rates were above average for this lake type, and is the fifth survey in a row to set a new record high catch for Ban. The average size was almost 7 inches, and the largest measured just over 9 inches. While abundance seems to be increasing, the proportion of the Bluegill population over 8 inches may have declined since the last survey in 2012. Selective harvest of smaller Bluegill is encouraged to protect the size structure of this population

Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass are fairly abundant in Ban. The size of Largemouth Bass tends to be fairly normal in Ban, while Smallmouth are larger than what would be expected in this type of lake. Largemouth averaged 11 inches and the largest measured over 16 inches. Smallmouth averaged 14 inches and the largest were over 17 inches. Largemouth up to 11 years and Smallmouth up to 14 years old were caught during this survey. A strong 2015 year class made up almost half of the total Bass catch.

Northern Pike abundance is within the expected range for Ban Lake. The average size is greater than what would be expected to find in this type of lake. Pike ranged from 19 to 36 inches and averaged 24 inches. Growth is normal in comparison to other International Falls lakes, and ages of the 2019 sample ranged from 2 to 8 years old.

Walleye have generally been present in very low abundance in Ban Lake. Annual stocking of Walleye fry began in 2015 in an effort to increase abundance. Despite the recent stocking efforts, very few Walleye were caught during this survey. A 16 year old specimen measured nearly 27 inches. Only two other Walleye were sampled. Both were from the 2018 year class, making them 1 year old fish at the time of this survey.

Yellow Perch catch rates were slightly less than the historic average for Ban Lake, but still within the expected range. The average size was about 7 inches, and the largest were over 9 inches. Perch are mostly a forage species in Ban, but a small portion of the population reach sizes that may be of interest to anglers. A strong 2015 year class made up about 75% of the sample.

Other species sampled in 2019 included 1 Golden Shiner, 1 Rock Bass, and 14 White Sucker.

What is the average air temp for Ban Lake?

Are there any state parks near Ban Lake?