Pine Lake

How big is Pine Lake?

How deep is Pine Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Pine Lake?

Are there boat launches on Pine Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Pine Lake?

Pine Lake is in Ecological Lake Class 16, which consists of 38 lakes in northeast Minnesota that are large, shallow, and have bog-stained and soft (unmineralized) water. Lake bottom substrates along the shoreline are 30% sand, 30% gravel, 20% boulder, 17% rubble, and 3% muck. Aquatic plants grow to a depth of 4 ft; variable pondweed and floatingleaf pondweed are the most common plants.

Pine Lake is located approximately 29 miles S of Ely within the Superior National Forest. This relatively remote lake lies in an area that has a lower density of lakes with streams and rivers being more common.

The public access can be found by turning N off CR 15 onto Etelainen Road; going 0.6 miles veer right onto UT56 for 0.65 miles; then veer left onto UT59 for 4.5 miles; then turn left onto the Forest Road for 0.7 miles to the parking area. There is a short carry-down or portage approximately 450 feet long to the lake. There are 3 designated campsites surrounding the lake.

Eight species of fish were sampled during the 2017 survey of Pine Lake. Northern pike (33%) were the most common species sampled in the gill nets, while bluegill (63%) dominated the trap net catch. Small pumpkinseed sunfish were sampled in above average numbers and a low density walleye population currently exists in Pine Lake.

Northern pike numbers in 2017 (7.3/gill net) were nearly identical to the historic average (7.1/gill net) for Pine Lake and above average (3.6/gill net) when compared to other similar area lakes with pike. The average pike sampled was 19.1 inches which is slightly larger than the historic average of 18.9 inches. Sixteen percent of the pike sampled were 24 inches or larger. The largest pike sampled in 2017 was caught in a trap net and measured 42.5 inches in length.

Bluegill numbers in 2017 (18.3/trap net) were identical to the historic average and above average (3.0/trap net) compared to other similar area lakes with bluegill. The average bluegill sampled was 6.4 inches which is similar to the historic average of 6.1 inches. Only 5% of the bluegill sampled were 8 inches or larger with a maximum length of 8.7 inches observed.

Walleye numbers in 2017 (2.7/gill net) were lower than the historic average (4.2/gill net) and below average (8.0/gill net) compared to other similar area lakes with walleye. The average walleye sampled was 18.2 inches long and about 6 years old. The largest walleye sampled was 27.8 inches in length. An addtional 12 walleye were sampled in the trap nets with an average length of 21.0 inches.

What is the average air temp for Pine Lake?