Little Long Lake

How big is Little Long Lake?

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

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Are there boat launches on Little Long Lake?

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

Little Long Lake is a 322 acre lake located two miles northwest of Ely. It is accessed by a concrete ramp off the Echo Trail. The lake has a maximum depth of 45 feet and had clear water at the time of this survey.

On August 5, 2022 the lake was thermally stratified with a surface temperature of 72 F and a bottom temperature of 48 F. Oxygen levels were adequate for gamefish throughout the water column. Lake bottom substrates along the shoreline are mostly bedrock, gravel, and rubble. Aquatic vegetation is sparse due to a rusty crayfish infestation.

Little Long is currently stocked every other year with walleye fingerlings.

The overall gillnet catch rate for all fish combined was 29.7 fish/net which was average compared to past surveys on the lake. Yield was 85.5 lbs/net which was the highest on record for the lake. Fish species sampled were walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, rock bass, rainbow smelt, white sucker, and green sunfish. Trap nets caught fish at an overall rate of 54.3 fish/net which was below average compared to past surveys on Little Long. Yield was 9.4 lbs/net which was very close to the lake's historic average. The catch was dominated by bluegill with additional species sampled that weren't also caught in gill nets including black crappie, golden shiner, largemouth bass, and yellow perch. The small mesh gill nets sampled rainbow smelt, northern pike, white sucker, smallmouth bass, and yellow perch.

Sixty walleye were sampled in gill nets for a catch rate of 20.0 fish/net, which was very good compared to other similar lakes and the highest catch rate on record for the lake. It also ranked third out of 198 surveys of walleye lakes in the area. Walleye lengths ranged from 7 to just over 28 inches with an average of 20 inches. Mean weight was an impressive 3.5 pounds which was very good compared to other similar lakes. Growth was excellent with the average walleye reaching 16 inches long at three years old. Ages ranged from 1 to 19 years with the 2019 year class representing 56% of the total catch. When stocked years were compared against non-stocked years, 52 of the 56 aged fish (93%) came from a year class where stocking occurred.

The northern pike gillnet catch was 2.0 fish/net which was lower than average compared to past surveys on the lake. Lengths ranged from 16 to just over 32 inches with an average of 22.5 inches. Both the average and max lengths were on par with previous surveys.

Twelve smallmouth bass were sampled in the gill nets for a catch rate of 4.0 fish/net which was very good compared to other similar lakes and better than average when compared to past surveys on Little Long. The average weight was nearly two pounds which was very good compared to other similar lakes. Lengths ranged from 10 to 19 inches with an average of nearly 15 inches. Nine additional smallmouth were sampled in trap nets and scales were taken from those fish to account for growth information. Growth was slightly below average compared other smallie populations in the area. On average it took four years for a fish to reach 8 inches. Ages ranged from 1 to 17 years.

Ten black crappie were sampled in trap nets for a catch rate of 1.1 fish/net. This was below average compared to other similar lakes but right at the average compared to past surveys on Little Long. Lengths ranged from 5 to 11 inches with an average of just over 8 inches.

The bluegill trapnet catch was 43.6 fish/net which was well above average compared to other similar lakes, but below average for Little Long Lake. Sizes ranged from 4 to 8 inches with an average of just over 5 inches. Ages ranged from 2 to 9 years with strong representation (over 70% of the total catch) coming from the 2019 year class. It took the average bluegill four years to reach 5 inches which was slightly better than average compared to other bluegill populations in the area.

Rainbow smelt are a non-native invasive fish that were first caught in small mesh nets in 1989. In the 2022 survey, 999 smelt were caught for a catch rate of 249.8 fish/net. Previous surveys of smelt catches were highly variable ranging from 1.0 fish/net in 1989 and 1.3 fish/net in 2015 to what is now the new high mark in 2022. Sizes have remained relatively constant through time with a 2022 average length of 5 inches.

Rusty crayfish have been in Little Long since at least 1994. Catch rates have generally increased in the gill nets from the low of 1.5 fish/net in 1994 to 57.0 fish/net in 2022.

What is the average air temp for Little Long Lake?

Are there any state parks near Little Long Lake?