Winchester Lake

How big is Winchester Lake?

How deep is Winchester Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Winchester Lake?

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Are there places to eat and drink near Winchester Lake?

Winchester is a 319 acre lake in St. Louis County located approximately 12 miles east of Orr, Minnesota. Winchester has a maximum depth of 50 feet with steep drop-offs and tannin-stained waters typical of Canadian Shield lakes. Approximately 17% of the lake is less than 15 feet deep and aquatic vegetation is limited to a few shallow bays. The shoreline of Winchester Lake is rugged and heavily forested. Very little development exists on the lake. The public access is carry-in only. A fisheries survey was completed in 2019 as part of a regularly scheduled rotation of surveys in the International Falls Management Area.

Winchester Lake is primarily managed for Lake Trout. Stocking occurred annually from 2005 to 2009 and every other year thereafter. The initial stocking events established a fairly robust population, but catch rates have been declining since that first survey following introduction. Lake Trout are still present, but survival of more recent stocked year classes appears to be low. The size structure is mostly made up of recently stocked fish less than 13 inches in length and older fish from the 2006 to 2009 stocked year classes that are now reaching lengths of 28 inches. There does not appear to be any natural reproduction taking place in Winchester.

There are very few Northern Pike present in Winchester Lake. This low density population in a lake with cool water and abundant Cisco to forage allows for some impressive growth and maximum size. Three Northern Pike were sampled in 2019, measuring 34.0, 41.5, and 42.6 inches in length.

Bass are not typically sampled very well with traditional netting gear. Several Smallmouth Bass were still caught in the nets during the 2019 survey. Lengths ranged from about 12 to 19 inches, indicating that there is a good size structure. Similar to other predators like Lake Trout and Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass in lakes with an abundant population of small Cisco can utilize this forage to attain impressive sizes.

Cisco appear to be the primary forage species in Winchester Lake. Cisco are abundant, and appear to be of the dwarf variety.

Other fish sampled in low numbers during this survey included Bluegill, Rock Bass, White Sucker, and Yellow Perch.

What is the average air temp for Winchester Lake?

Are there any state parks near Winchester Lake?