Moulton

Moulton Lake is a secluded lake located along the Aitkin-Crow Wing county line. Most of the shoreline is unaltered and publicly owned. There is a state-owned public access located in the northwest corner of the lake, accessible through a state forest road off of Aitkin County Road 3. The water is soft and heavily bog stained with a Secchi disc reading of only 3 feet. Anglers fishing Moulton Lake have several species to target with Walleye, Black Crappie, and Northern Pike being the most popular, but opportunities to catch Largemouth Bass and Bluegill also exist. A spring trap net survey (May 15) and gill net-only targeted survey (Aug 19) were performed on Moulton Lake to assist with review of the walleye stocking plan, assess the panfish population, and to harvest panfish spp. (Black Crappie, Bluegill, Hybrid Sunfish) for stocking at Long Lake (01-0101-00) in central Aitkin County. Long Lake had recently experienced a severe winterkill. The gill net catch rate for Walleye was 1.3 per gill net, which did not meet the management goal of 2 to 4 fish per gill net. Six year classes of Walleye, from 1 to 18 years old, were observed and all were from years that were stocked. Walleye in gill nets averaged 16.6 inches and ranged from 8.2 to 27.6 inches. Growth rates were slow compared to county and state averages, with 4-year-old Walleye averaging 13.5 inches, which is typical for Moulton Lake. Fingerling stocking supports the Walleye population in Moulton Lake and they have been stocked annually since 2022. Although trace amounts of natural reproduction have been noted in the past, it does not appear to contribute significantly to the fishery. Also, no fish were observed from the 2019 or 2021 year classes, which had been fry stocked. Northern Pike relative abundance was unchanged from 2021 (1.67 per gill net). Size structure was favorable with a mean length of 27.5 inches and individuals up to 34.9 inches were observed. Fifty percent of Pike captured were greater than 26 inches. Northern Pike ranged from 4 to 7 years old, and displayed fast growth compared to state and county averages, reaching 23 inches in 4 years. Catch rates of Black Crappie in gill nets decreased from an all-time high in 2021 (28.7 per net), to a rate of 14.0 per net. While a decrease in relative abundance was observed, the gill net catch rate of Crappie still exceeded the normal range for this type of lake, as well as the historical median prior to 2021 (5.4 per net). Black Crappie were captured at a rate of 16.7 per trap net during the spring survey, which was hgher than what is usually observed in standard surveys in mid-summer (1-7 per trap net). Size structure of Crappie captured in trap nets was slightly wider than from gill net-captured fish and ranged from 4.9 to 11.6 inches and averaged 8.4 inches. For comparison, gill net-captured Crappie averaged 8.0 inches and ranged from 4.3 to 9.7 inches. Crappie ranged from 1 to 7 years old, with only the 2019 year class (age 5) missing from the sample. Growth rates continued to be below state and county averages, with 4-year-old Crappie averaging only 7.0 inches. Two hundred Crappie from the trap net sample were transferred to Long Lake. Trap net catch rates for Bluegill were 37.0 per net, which is substantially higher than what has been observed during previous standard surveys in August (5-13 per trap net). Seven percent of Bluegill captured were over 8 inches in length, which was similar to the 2021 standard survey (6%). While typically not used to index Bluegill abundance, the gill net catch rate of 9.8 per net was the highest observed in any previous surveys. One hundred and thirty Bluegill and a combination of 20 Hybrid Sunfish and Pumpkinseeds from the trap net sample were transferred to Long Lake. Largemouth Bass are not particularly abundant at Moulton Lake. Only two Largemouth Bass were sampled during the 2024 gill net survey, but did include one fish over 19.2 inches. Eight more Bass were observed in the spring survey and they averaged 12.0 inches long, with one fish reaching 19.3 inches. The Yellow Perch catch rate in the gill nets (10.7 per net) continued an upward trend that first appeared in 2021 (6.2 per net). In the nine gill net surveys from 1968 to 2016, Perch abundance had been quite stable and averaged 2.3 per net with the narrow range of 1.2 to 3.3 per net. Perch sizes ranged from 5.4 to 9.6 inches long, with a mean length of 7.4 inches. No perch were observed in the spring trap net sampling.

Moulton Lake is a secluded lake located along the Aitkin-Crow Wing county line. Most of the shoreline is unaltered and in public ownership. There is a state-owned public access located in the northwest corner of the lake, accessible off of Aitkin County Road 3. The water is very soft and is heavily bog stained with a Secchi disc reading of only 3 feet. Anglers fishing Moulton Lake have several species to target, with Walleye, Black Crappie and Northern Pike being the most popular, but opportunities to catch Largemouth Bass and Bluegill are also present. A survey was conducted, in 2021, to assess the fish community. The Walleye gillnet catch rate of 1.2 per net was within the normal range for this type of lake, but below the management target goal of 2-4 per net. Sizes ranged from 8 to 21.5 inches and averaged 14.5 inches. Growth was slightly slower compared to county and statewide averages, but comparable to historical rates for Moulton Lake. While some limited natural reproduction may be taking place, most of the Walleye are likely the result of fingerling stocking. Historically, Northern Pike have been captured in low numbers in survey nets. The 2011 assessment showed an increase in abundance, however the catch was lower in both the 2016 and 2021 surveys falling back to near median level for Moulton Lake. Fish in the gill nets ranged from 23 to 33 inches, with an average length of 26.75 inches. Black Crappie catches have significantly increased in consecutive surveys and are now more abundant than the normal range for this type of lake. Size averaged about 8 inches, with just a couple fish over 10 inches observed in the trap net sample. Growth was slightly below statewide averages, but within the expected range for lakes in Aitkin County. Bluegill numbers were similar to the 2016 survey and average for this lake type. Size structure was good, with most fish between 6 and 8.5 inches. Moulton Lake is not known for its Largemouth Bass fishery, however anecdotal information from anglers and previous net catches indicated a possible increasing trend. The 2021 survey suggests abundance is increasing compared to the lower levels observed in 2011 and 2016. Electrofishing showed an increase in catch rates from 3/hr in 2016 to 17.5/hr in 2021. Largemouth Bass up to 19.7 inches long were observed. In addition to the standard summer field work, nearshore sampling for the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) was also conducted in 2021, and the results are available in the June 23, 2021 Targeted Assessment.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Moulton Lake was conducted on June 23, 2021, by Aitkin Area Fisheries Staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all ten sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample three stations, a 15-foot seine was used at four stations, and site conditions prevented the use of seines at three stations. Nearshore sampling captured nine species of fish (i.e., Bluegill, Black Crappie, Central Mudminnow, Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, Tadpole Madtom, Yellow Bullhead and Yellow Perch). The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from a July 2021 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based Index of Biotic Integrity (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., 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 indicates the fish community of Moulton Lake is in good health as indicated by an FIBI score above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Pine River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Walleye, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Hybrid Sunfish, and Yellow Perch in Moulton. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Moulton has a maximum depth of 24 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

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