Loon

Loon Lake is a designated stream trout lake located entirely within the boundaries of Savannah Portage State Park in northeastern Aitkin County. Anglers who fish Loon Lake are required to have a valid Minnesota State Park permit and a trout stamp. Park facilities on the lake include the park's main picnic area, swimming beach, canoe rental and boat launch with concrete log ramp. The use of gas-powered outboard motors is prohibited, limiting anglers to paddling, electric trolling motors, or shore fishing. Loon Lake is popular with the local residents and visitors to Savannah Portage State Park and provides a unique angling experience for central Minnesota. Historically, Loon Lake was a bass-panfish lake until it was reclaimed in 1971. The initial stocking of Rainbow Trout took place that fall. Brook Trout yearlings were then introduced in 1985 and stocked nearly annually through 2010. Splake, a sterile hybrid between male Brook Trout and female Lake Trout, were introduced in 1999 and stocked thru 2010. With changes in hatchery production, beginning in 2011, Loon Lake has been stocked each spring with 2,000 Rainbow Trout yearlings and 200 Brown Trout yearlings. An additional 500 yearling or adult Rainbow Trout may be stocked later in the year when hatchery surplus is available. It is believed that the Brown Trout will be able to take advantage of the available prey (White Suckers) and grow to larger sizes to provide a quality element to the fishery. Catches of Brown Trout decreased, while Rainbow Trout increased in the 2022 trap net assessment. This survey sampled 145 rainbow trout ranging in size from 8.5 to 12.6 inches with an average length of 10.7 inches. Twenty Brown Trout were also sampled measuring from 9.9 to 14.9 inches with an average length of 11.3 inches. Data suggests that Brown Trout are also surviving past their first winter and are continuing to grow, as previous surveys have documented them out to over 17 inches. Future surveys will provide more information on the potential of the Brown Trout fishery. White Sucker abundance increased for the second survey in a row to 5.9 per net after a short-term decline observed in 2012 (0.75 per net). This is the highest abundance observed for White Suckers, while providing excellent forage for larger Brown Trout, they may compete with Rainbow Trout and smaller Brown Trout for invertebrate food resources. However, since both Rainbow and Brown Trout appear to be growing much better than previous populations of Brook Trout, the White Suckers may not be having much of a negative effect on growth rates in Loon Lake. It is possible they may be competing amongst themselves or being out competed by the trout as some individuals appeared to be in poor condition.

A temperature - dissolved oxygen (TDO) profile was collected on August 8, 2022, to measure the amount of thermal habitat available for trout. A survey of the trout population was planned for the fall 2022 after being canceled in 2021. A profile was also collected in 2021 prior to the fish population survey being canceled for that year. The TDO3 (temperature at 3 mg/l dissolved oxygen) is a measure used for determining suitable habitat for Tullibee which was determined to be 13.5 degrees C. While there are no Tullibee in the lake, trout have similar habitat requirements. Water from the surface to about 11 feet was fairly warm, overall oxy-thermal habitat was adequate for trout species from 10 to about 15 feet deep at this time of the year. It's conceivable that fish could also leave the temperature and oxygen boundaries for brief periods to feed at the surface and such.

A temperature - dissolved oxygen (TDO) profile was collected on August 8, 2022, to measure the amount of thermal habitat available for trout. A survey of the trout population was planned for the fall 2022 after being canceled in 2021. A profile was also collected in 2021 prior to the fish population survey being canceled for that year. The TDO3 (temperature at 3 mg/l dissolved oxygen) is a measure used for determining suitable habitat for Tullibee which was determined to be 13.5 degrees C. While there are no Tullibee in the lake, trout have similar habitat requirements. Water from the surface to about 11 feet was fairly warm, overall oxy-thermal habitat was adequate for trout species from 10 to about 15 feet deep at this time of the year. It's conceivable that fish could also leave the temperature and oxygen boundaries for brief periods to feed at the surface and such.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Splake, Rainbow Trout, and Brown Trout in Loon. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Loon. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

Loon has a maximum depth of 21 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Loon is from 2022.

No invasive species are on record for Loon in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.