Esquagamah

Esquagamah Lake is located 10 miles west of Palisade and is a popular destination for many anglers in western Aitkin County. There is a state-owned public access with concrete log ramp located just off of Aitkin County Road 3. The lake supports a wide variety of habitats that are conducive to several species of game fish. There are several offshore beds of submerged and emergent vegetation that provide excellent habitat for fish and wildlife. Anglers can expect to find fishable populations of Walleye, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, and sunfish. The purpose of this targeted assessment was to us gill nets to assist in the evaluation of the Walleye fry stocking (occurs in odd years opposite fingerlings in even years) and to examine the size structure of panfish in the spring. The Walleye catch rate in 2024 (6.0 per gill net) appeared to increase from the previous assessment in 2019 (4.1 per gill net) and was in the typical range when compared to lakes with similar habitat. Walleye ranged from 10.1 to 24.7 inches and averaged 17.4 inches. Walleye ranged in age from 2 to 13 years old, with over half of the catch (60 percent) being from the 2022 and 2019 year classes (ages 2 and 5). No fish were observed from the 2021 or 2023 year classes, which were stocked with fry. Northern Pike numbers have decreased in every survey since 1986 and were down to less than one per gill net in 2024. Size structure is healthy as indicated by an average length of 30.4 inches with 86 percent longer than 26 inches and individuals up to 35 inches sampled. Catch and release of large Pike is encouraged to maintain a favorable size structure for this lake. Esquagamah Lake is known for its high abundance of Black Crappie, and gill net catches have varied widely over the survey history (10.0 to 83.1 per net). The gill net catch rate in 2024 (22.7 per net) was similar to the previous assessment in 2019 (19.2 per net) and falls below the long term average (36.4 per net). It's not uncommon for Crappie lakes to fluctuate widely in abundance based on year class strengths. Crappies in gill nets averaged 7.6 inches with fish up to 10.6 inches in the sample and 19 percent longer than 9 inches. The spring trap net assessment sampled Crappie that averaged 8.4 inches with fish up to 11.1 inches in the sample and 40 percent longer than 9 inches. Anglers targeting Black Crappie can find success both in summer and winter months. The Bluegill population has varied little over the history of surveys on Esquagamah Lake until 2024. The Bluegill gill net catch rate in 2024 (14.8 per net) was the highest on record. Gill net caught Bluegill averaged 6.1 inches and ranged from 3.9 to 8.4 inches. The spring trap net assessment sampled Bluegill averaging 6.2 inches with a range of 3.7 to 8.7 inches. Abundance, growth rates, and size structure of the population are all favorable compared to other lakes in the area. Anglers are encouraged to exercise selective harvest, and release the larger individuals, to maintain these quality opportunities. History has shown it is difficult, if not impossible, to regain these attributes once they are lost. Largemouth Bass gill net catches were within the expected range for this type of lake. Bass ranged from 10.9 to 19.3 inches and averaged 13.7 inches and 1.6 pounds. Other species sampled during the targeted surveys include Black Bullhead, Brown Bullhead, Golden Shiner, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, White Sucker, Yellow Bullhead, and Yellow Perch.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Esquagamah Lake was conducted on 8/6/2019 by DNR Fisheries staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot seine or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all fourteen sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample three stations, a 15-foot seine was used to sample eight stations, and site conditions prevented the use of seines at three stations. Sampling captured 19 species of fish including two species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Iowa Darter and Rock Bass) and one species that is tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Black Bullhead). The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from August 2019 to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Common Carp and Black Bullhead). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Mississippi River (Brainerd) Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Esquagamah Lake is located 10 miles west of Palisade and is a popular destination for many anglers in western Aitkin County. There is a state owned public access with concrete log ramp located just off of Aitkin County Road 3. The lake supports a wide variety of habitats that are conducive to several species of game fish. There are a several offshore beds of submerged and emergent vegetation that provide excellent habitat for fish and wildlife. Anglers can expect to find fishable populations of Walleye, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, and sunfish. Walleye catch (4.1/gill net) was essentially unchanged from the last survey conducted in 2014. Sizes ranged from 7 to 25", with an average length of approximately 15". The Walleye fishery is supported by fingerling stocking and this strategy appears to be supporting a healthy Walleye population. No natural reproduction of Walleye was evident. Northern Pike numbers have decreased in every survey since 1986, and were down to 1.4/gill net in 2019. Size structure is healthy as indicated by an average length of 23.4", with 41% longer than 24" and individuals up to 33" sampled. Catch and release of pike over 24" is encouraged to maintain a favorable size structure for this lake. Esquagamah Lake is known for its high abundance of Black Crappie, and catches have varied from 10 to 83/net in survey history. The 2019 catch of 19.2/net was a decrease from a high catch in 2014 and falls below the long term average of 37.8. It's not uncommon for crappie lakes to fluctuate widely in abundance based on year class strengths. The average size of the crappies was about 7" with about 13% longer than 9". Anglers targeting Black Crappie can find success both in summer and winter months. The Bluegill population has varied little over the history of surveys on Esquagamah Lake. Abundance, growth rates, and size structure of the population are all favorable compared to other lakes in the area. Anglers are encouraged to exercise selective harvest, and release the larger individuals, to maintain these quality opportunities. History has shown it is difficult, if not impossible, to regain these attributes once they are lost. Largemouth Bass trap net and gill net catches were both within the expected range for this type of lake. Spring electrofishing, which is a better tool for monitoring bass populations, was done in 2019 as well. The catch rate indicates a fairly abundant population (61.9/hr) with an average size of 13.7 inches and a maximum size of 19.5 inches.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Northern Pike, Black Crappie, and Rock Bass in Esquagamah. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Esquagamah. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Esquagamah has a maximum depth of 31 feet and a mean depth of 13 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Esquagamah is from 2024.

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