Black Oak Lake

How big is Black Oak Lake?

How deep is Black Oak Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Black Oak Lake?

What are the closest cities to Black Oak Lake?

Are there boat launches on Black Oak Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Black Oak Lake?

Black Oak Lake is a 119 acre lake located 3 miles south of Melrose in northwestern Stearns County. It has a maximum depth of 19 feet and is classified as Lake Class 42. The watershed (960 acres) is small and mostly row crops (39%) with some forest (28%) and pasture (14%). The DNR owns a public access on the southeast side of the lake near county road 30. Water clarity was 10.0 feet in early June and MPCA data shows an average summer water clarity of 5.1 feet over the last ten years. Dissolved oxygen was adequate to support fish to 12 feet during the survey. Black Oak Lake is managed for Northern Pike and Largemouth Bass and was last surveyed in 2009. Anglers can expect good fishing for Northern Pike and Black Crappie.

Prior to 2004, the lake was a low priority for management because of its small size and history of winterkill. An aeration agreement with the Green Grove Rod and Gun Club led to the re stocking of Bluegill, Black Crappies and Largemouth Bass by the DNR from 2004 2006. Aeration equipment has been successful at preventing winterkill in 13 of the last 16 winters.

Northern Pike numbers were above the expected range of values for similar lakes and nearly double, what was sampled in 2009. Lengths ranged from 11 to 31 inches with an average length and weight of 23 inches and 2.5 pounds. Twenty percent of the pike were longer than 26 inches.

Two Walleye yearlings (6 and 8 inches) were sampled by gill nets. Since 2008, the Freeport Family Fishing group has been annually stocking fingerling and/or yearling Walleye.

Only three Yellow Perch were sampled in 2019. Yellow Perch are an important food item for Northern Pike and Walleye.

Daytime electrofishing in late May failed to sample any Largemouth Bass. Even though no dead fish were reported, the complete absence of bass in the survey indicates that a partial winterkill occurred most likely in the winter of 2014 when one of the aerators was flooded and stopped running. Largemouth Bass will be re stocked in the spring of 2020 in order to restore the bass fishery. The Bluegill population also appears to have been affected by the previous partial winterkill, as only three small Bluegill around four inches were sampled in the survey. Bluegill will also be stocked in the spring of 2020 in order to supplement the existing population.

The catch rate of Black Crappie decreased from the recorded high in 2009 but remained within the normal range for the lake class. Black Crappie lengths ranged from 4 to 10 inches, with an average length of 6.4 inches.

Considering the winter kill history of Black Oak Lake, Black Bullheads were not abundant. Common Carp, Golden Shiner, Pumpkinseed, and White Sucker were all present in low numbers.

What is the average air temp for Black Oak Lake?

Are there any state parks near Black Oak Lake?