Little Loon Lake

How big is Little Loon Lake?

How deep is Little Loon Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Little Loon Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Little Loon Lake?

Little Loon is a 167-acre lake located within the Wilderness of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA). The lake is relatively long with a north-south fetch of over a mile. Maximum depth is 68 feet and other than the north end, the shoreline drops off quickly. The lake has a bog-stain tint to its waters but otherwise is relatively clear (Secchi disk of 9.0 feet). Substrates are dominated by boulder and rubble-sized rock. Like Loon Lake downstream, however, sand is also common in Little Loon. Aquatic vegetation is scarce.

Little Loon lies on a popular canoe route into the BWCAW. The Slim Lake portage, located in the northeast corner of Little Loon is well traveled. There are two USFS campsites on the lake.

Northern pike were the most common gamefish species caught during this survey. The gill-net abundance (3.33/net) was above average compared to other Minnesota lakes in the same classification. Lengths of northern pike averaged 21.9 inches. The largest pike caught was 29.6 inches long.

Walleye gill-net abundance (1.83/net) was below average for lakes similar to Little Loon. The walleye caught, however, were relatively large, ranging in length from 14.1 to 21.3 inches and averaging 1.9 pounds. Fifty-five percent of the catch were longer than 17 inches. Growth rates of Little Loon Lake walleye were slow.

Smallmouth bass were also present in Little Loon Lake. The gill-net abundance (0.67/net) was typical for lakes in the same classification as Little Loon. The average size of bass caught however, exceed two pounds and was exceptional.

Several other species were caught in Little Loon Lake. These species included burbot, lake whitefish and cisco. Cisco appear to be the primary forage species in this lake.

What is the average air temp for Little Loon Lake?