Loon Lake

How big is Loon Lake?

How deep is Loon Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Loon Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Loon Lake?

What aquatic invasive species are found in Loon Lake?

Loon Lake is located on the border between Minnesota and the Province of Ontario. There is no road access, thus, anglers typically gain access by traveling by boat from road access points located on Crane Lake. Loon Lake is a 2,498 acre lake with a maximum depth of 76 feet; 2,017 acres are in Minnesota. Located 8 miles southeast of the Town of Crane Lake, the lake has a rocky irregular shoreline, many islands, and contains tannin stained water with low fertility, typical of Canadian Shield lakes. The U.S. portion of the lake lies entirely within the Superior National Forest Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, so human development is limited. The Forest Service maintains several campsites on the lake and portage trails to surrounding lakes.

Loon Lake has no special regulations. Fishing regulations follow the Canada-Minnesota border waters regulations. Previous management plans identify several long range goals, including maintaining a native fish community with Walleye as the top predator.

A total of 13 species were caught during the 2022 fisheries assessment. Walleye and Northern Pike were the most common species captured. Other commonly sampled species included Cisco, White Sucker, Smallmouth Bass and Yellow Perch.

Walleye abundance was 9.7 fish per net, which was above the management goal and above average for similar lakes. This is greater than the historical mean of 5.8 fish per net and was the highest catch rate ever recorded on Loon Lake. Length ranged from 7.4 to 22.3 inches, with an average of 13.1 inches. Average weight was 0.8 pounds, which was below average for similar lakes. A total of 11 year-classes were present and ranged from 1-12 years. Even though the average weight was less than average for similar lakes, there are still good quality Walleye in Loon Lake. There are good numbers of 14" - 20" Walleyes present providing good fishing opportunities.

Smallmouth Bass abundance was 2.6 fish per net, which was well above average for similar lakes. This is four times greater than the historic mean of 0.6 fish per net and was the highest catch rate ever recorded on Loon Lake. Length ranged from 10.0 to 20.1 inches, with an average of 15.4 inches. Average weight was 2.1 pounds, which was well above average for similar lakes. A total of 11 year-classes were present and ranged from 2-16 years. Overall, the Smallmouth Bass population in Loon Lake looks healthy. There are good numbers of 12" - 20" Smallmouth Bass present providing good fishing opportunities.

Black Crappie abundance was 0.4 fish per net, which was below average for similar lakes. This is less than the historic mean of 1.4 fish per net and was the lowest catch rate recorded on Loon Lake. Length ranged from 6.3 to 11.1 inches, with an average of 8.5 inches. Average weight was 0.4 pounds, which was slightly above average for similar lakes. A total of four year-classes were present and ranged from 2-11 years. Fishing opportunities for Black Crappie are likely limited due to low abundance.

Northern Pike abundance was 3.4 fish per net, which was above average for similar lakes. This is slightly less than the Loon Lake historical average of 3.6 fish per net. Length ranged from 17.3 to 31.1 inches, with an average of 23.3 inches. Average weight was 2.6 pounds, which was slightly below average for similar lakes. A total of seven year-classes were present and ranged from 2-8 years. There are good numbers of Northern Pike under 30" providing good fishing opportunities with the potential of catching a Northern Pike over 30".

Sauger abundance was 0.3 fish per net, which was below average for similar lakes. This is slightly above the Loon Lake historical average of 0.2 fish per net. Length ranged from 7.9 to 14.1 inches, with an average of 10.5 inches. Average weight was 0.4 pounds, which was below average for similar lakes. A total of three year-classes were present and ranged from 2-9 years. Fishing opportunities for Sauger are likely limited due to low abundance, and are likely incidental catches while Walleye fishing.

Yellow Perch abundance was 1.7 fish per net, which was below average for similar lakes. This is above the historic average of 0.9 fish per net and was the second highest catch rate recorded on Loon Lake. Length ranged from 5.5 to 7.3 inches, with an average of 6.3 inches. Average weight was 0.1 pounds, which was below the average for similar lakes.

Yellow perch, Cisco, Lake Whitefish, and White Sucker provide quality forage for top predators within Loon Lake.

What is the average air temp for Loon Lake?