Middle Spunk Lake

How big is Middle Spunk Lake?

How deep is Middle Spunk Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Middle Spunk Lake?

What are the closest cities to Middle Spunk Lake?

Are there boat launches on Middle Spunk Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Middle Spunk Lake?

What aquatic invasive species are found in Middle Spunk Lake?

Middle Spunk Lake is a 236-acre lake located within the city limits of Avon in central Stearns County. It has a maximum depth of 81 feet and a large watershed dominated by row crops, forest, and pasture. A city owned public access is located on the northeast corner of the lake. A standard summer survey was conducted in 2023 to monitor changes in the fishery since the last survey in 2016. Anglers can expect good fishing for Northern Pike and Largemouth Bass.

Emergent and floating leaf vegetation was mapped in August 2016 and found to cover more than half of the shoreline. Dominant species mapped were cattail, waterlily, and bulrush. Submerged vegetation was not surveyed in 2023, but chara and coontail were the dominant species found in 2016. Water clarity was good; Secchi depth was 18 feet in late June and MPCA data shows the average summer water clarity to be 13 feet over the last ten years. Dissolved oxygen was adequate to support fish down to 35 feet in late June.

Northern Pike numbers were lower than 2016 but remained above the expected range of values for similar lakes. Lengths ranged from 13 to 34 inches with an average length and weight of 20 inches and 2 pounds. The Northern Pike size structure is relatively poor as only 9% of the pike sampled were 26 inches or longer in 2023, similar to 2016 (8%). With the high catch rate of pike, anglers could expect a fair bit of action from the abundant small pike.

Walleye catches have historically been low in Middle Spunk Lake despite regular fingerling stocking. Only six Walleye were captured during the 2023 survey; this is below the expected range of values for lakes like Middle Spunk and similar to results in 2016. Walleye ranged in length from 12 to 29 inches with an average length and weight of 20 inches and 3.7 pounds. While numbers are low, anglers still have a chance to catch a few walleye in Middle Spunk Lake.

Largemouth Bass were sampled by daytime electrofishing on June 1st. The catch rate of 46/hour was lower than the Sauk Rapids average daytime catch of 52/hour and lower than the 2016 survey when sampling was conducted at night. Largemouth Bass lengths ranged from six to 19 inches with an average length of 10 inches. Of catchable size fish (>8 inches), 20% were longer than 15 inches. No Smallmouth Bass were sampled in the 2023 but smallmouth were sampled in 2016 (16.2/hour).

Middle Spunk Lake is one of the few lakes in the Sauk Rapids Area to support a Tullibee population. The Tullibee catch was much higher than 2016 and the second highest on record. Tullibee lengths ranged from seven to 16 inches with a mean length of 11 inches. Tullibee need cold, well oxygenated water to survive; a temperature oxygen profile conducted on June 20 indicated that dissolved oxygen was 3.2 ppm at 36 feet, where the temperature was 44°F. It is likely that conditions are less favorable later in the summer.

Bluegill numbers were lower than 2016 but remained within the range of expected values for similar lakes. Lengths ranged from three to eight inches with an average length of five inches. Black Crappie numbers remained low, but similar to 2016. Black Crappie lengths ranged from five to 13 inches, with an average length of nine inches.

No Yellow Perch were caught in the survey; perch abundance is likely hindered by high numbers of Northern Pike. Other species sampled in low numbers included: Bowfin, Green and Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead.

What is the average air temp for Middle Spunk Lake?

Are there any state parks near Middle Spunk Lake?