Coon

Coon Lake is a 1,250 acre lake located in northern Anoka County and assigned to lake class 35. There are two major basins with the eastern one being the deeper but smaller of the two. This lake was historically susceptible to winterkills but there are currently two aeration systems in place which appear to be preventing severe winterkill. The primary management species are Walleye and Northern Pike. A mix of Walleye fingerlings, yearlings, and adults are stocked annually (approximately 550 pounds). In 2009 a 17 inch minimum length limit for Walleyes was implemented with the goal of protecting smaller fish from harvest. Coon was sampled with gill nets and trap nets in June 2025 primarily to assess the Walleye population and provide species information for an Index of Biological Integrity survey. The previous survey was conducted in 2019. Walleye were sampled by gill nets at a rate of 3.2 fish per net. Fish size was large for the lake class but typical for the lake with a mean length of 18.8 inches (lengths ranged from 12.8 to 22.9 inches). Walleye ages were well distributed from 2 to 12 years old. Northern Pike were sampled at a remarkable rate of 26.5 fish per gill net, more than double the previous survey's catch rate. Fish size remained typical relative to both the lake and the lake class with a mean length of 20.7 inches. Fish length topped out at just over 30 inches. Yellow Perch were sampled at a negligible rate of 0.3 fish per net. Mean length of those few fish sampled was 5.7 inches. Although summer trap nets were used to sample both Bluegill and Black Crappie for an Index of Biotic Integrity survey, spring trap netting would provide better population metrics for assessing Coon's panfish populations. It might however interest anglers to note that Black Crappie mean length was 8.4 inches and fish up to 11.5 inches were sampled. Other species sampled were Black Bullhead, Common Carp, Golden Shiner, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, and Yellow Bullhead.

A targeted survey was conducted on Coon Lake August 13-14, 2019 by Fisheries Lake Index of Biological Integrity (FIBI) program staff. Sampling methods targeted nearshore, small-bodied fish and included seining and backpack electrofishing. Eighteen sampling stations 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 eighteen stations, but four stations were sampled from the boat due to site conditions. A 50-foot seine was used to sample ten stations, a 15-foot seine was used at four stations and soft substrates and dense emergent vegetation prevented the use of seines at four sites. Nearshore sampling captured 13 native species of fish including two species intolerant of habitat disturbance (Banded Killifish and Iowa Darter) and one species tolerant of habitat disturbance (Green Sunfish). Data from this targeted nearshore survey is combined with data from a standard gill net survey completed June 2019 and a standard trap net survey completed July 2019 to calculate a Fish-based Index of Biological Integrity (FIBI) score that describes the overall health of the lake. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify 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. Banded Killifish and Iowa Darter), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g. Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community 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 Coon Lake is in good health as indicated by a 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 Lower St. Croix River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Coon Lake is a 1,250 acre lake located in northern Anoka County and assigned to lake class 35. This lake was historically susceptible to winterkills but there are currently two aeration systems in place which appear to be preventing severe winterkill. The primary management species are Walleye and Northern Pike. A mix of Walleye fingerlings and adults are stocked ranging from about 500 to 600 lb annually. In 2009 a 17 inch minimum length limit for Walleyes was implemented with the goal of protecting smaller fish from harvest. Coon was sampled with gill nets, trap nets, and night time electrofishing in June 2019. Northern Pike were sampled by gill nets at a rate of 10.6 fish per net, which is higher than average for the lake class but typical relative to historic catches and is meeting the long range goal. Mean weight of 2.4 lb was also higher than average for the lake class. Lengths of fish were well distributed from 12 to 35 inches with an average of 21.5 and 11% of Pike exceeded 30 inches. The Walleye gill net catch rate of 0.6 fish per net failed to meet the goal of 1 fish per net. This catch rate is substantially lower than the previous survey catch of 3.3 fish per net but it is typical for the last decade of sampling. Walleyes averaged 19 inches in length with the largest measuring 22.6 inches. Although Black Crappie were sampled at a low abundance by trap nets (0.6 fish per net), they were sampled at a much higher rate of 8.8 fish per net in gill nets. This rate is above average for the lake class and the highest catch in a survey since 1988. The gill net fish tended to be small with an average length of 6.8 inches and the few trap net fish were larger with an average length of 9.3 inches. The largest fish sampled was 11.1 inches. Bluegill were sampled at a rate of 92.5 fish per trap net. This is up considerably from the previous rate of 30 fish per net in 2015 but it is similar to other surveys since the early 1980's. Mean weight of 0.15 lb was less than average for the lake class and typical for the lake. Bluegill averaged 5.5 inches in length with the largest individual sampled measuring just over 8 inches. The Yellow Perch catch rate of 2.6 fish per gill net was low. Catch rates have historically been variable but only one of the previous eight surveys has exceeded the lake class mean. The few fish sampled were small with an average length of 6 inches.

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

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

Coon has a maximum depth of 27 feet and a mean depth of 10 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Coon is from 2025.

Yes — Coon has confirmed Eurasian watermilfoil. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.