Little Turtle

Little Turtle is a 469-acre lake with a maximum depth of 25 feet located 10 miles north of Bemidji in Beltrami County. Little Turtle is part of a connected chain of lakes known as the Turtle River chain. Little Turtle is accessed by boat via the Turtle River from Big Turtle Lake which lies just downstream. Access is limited to smaller boats due to shallow water and a box culvert at the County Road 15 crossing on the Turtle River. An Aquatic Management Area (AMA) located on the east shore of the lake offers additional carry-in and limited winter access. Special regulations are in effect for Sunfish (daily limit of 5 fish) and Northern Pike. Anglers should check regulations for northern pike as its special regulation was under review in 2022. Statewide regulations apply to all other species The Turtle River chain of lakes is known for good panfishing opportunities and Little Turtle Lake is no exception. The 2021 survey documented healthy populations of Bluegill and Black Crappie with good average sizes. The shallow, productive lake basin produces fast growth rates for these species and provides excellent habitat. Although Little Turtle Lake is not known as a Walleye destination in the area, the number captured in surveys is usually above average in comparison to similar lakes. The lake's connection to the Turtle River benefits migratory species such as Walleye, which are found in good numbers in many lakes in the Turtle River chain. Walleye anglers may want to give Little Turtle Lake a pass in favor of Big Turtle and Movil Lakes which are closely connected and contain better Walleye habitat and larger populations of the species. Northern Pike have always been abundant in Little Turtle Lake and can provide some good fishing action on days when other species may not want to cooperate. Northern Pike up to 32 inches in length were captured in this survey. Largemouth Bass are present but have never been captured in large numbers in surveys of Little Turtle Lake. Bass up to 17 inches were captured in this survey, with a good average size of nearly 13 inches in length. Other species of fish captured in the 2021 survey were Rock Bass, Pumpkinseed, hybrid sunfish, Brown and Yellow Bullhead, Tullibee (Cisco), White Sucker and Yellow Perch.

Little Turtle Lake is a 469-acre lake, located 10 miles north of Bemidji, MN. A targeted survey was completed on Little Turtle Lake by Bemidji Area Fisheries staff during July of 2021 to assess the nearshore fish community and overall health of the lake. In this survey, 10 nearshore sites (100-foot) were evenly spaced along the lakeshore to sample a variety of aquatic habitat types and collect a representative sample of the nearshore fish community. Depending on the habitat conditions at each site, backpack electrofishing and shoreline seining were attempted where possible. A total of seven sites were sampled with a seine, while backpack electrofishing was completed at all 10 sites. A total of 17 species of fish were sampled, which included six species (Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Northern Sunfish, and Pugnose Shiner) that are intolerant to disturbance or poor water quality. Nearshore fish community data was analyzed with information collected from standard survey completed in 2021 to calculate a Fish-based Index of Biologic Integrity (FIBI) score to measure the biological condition and overall health of Little Turtle Lake. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and healthy habitat (e.g. Blackchin Shiner, Tullibee (cisco), Least Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g. Black Bullhead, Fathead Minnow, and Green Sunfish). The combination of fish species present may identify stressors negatively affecting the lake environment. The FIBI score is composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics to indicate the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website (www.mndnr.gov). Results of this survey indicate Little Turtle Lake is in great health with a FIBI score well above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. In coordination with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, data from this survey will contribute towards the assessment of the Mississippi River (Headwaters) Watershed with biological information about the health of the fish community.

Little Turtle Lake (D.O.W. # 04-0155-00) is a 468-acre lake with a maximum depth of 25 feet located 10 miles north of Bemidji in Beltrami County. Little Turtle is part of a connected chain of lakes known as the Turtle River chain. Little Turtle Lake is accessed from Big Turtle Lake, which is connected by a navigable channel. The DNR public water access is located on the west shore of Big Turtle Lake off of County Road 15. Little Turtle is managed for Walleye, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, and Bluegill. There is a special regulation in effect for Northern Pike. All pike from 24 to 36 inches in length must be immediately released. The possession limit is 3, with only one greater than 36 inches allowed in possession. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has classified Minnesota lakes based on similarities in lake basin (depth, size) water chemistry (alkalinity, water clarity) and location within the state. Lake Class can affect the type of fish community present in the lake. Little Turtle Lake is in lake class 34. The following discussion makes comparisons between Little Turtle Lake and other class 34 lakes in the state. Other Bemidji area lakes in this class include Campbell Lake and Boot Lake. The 2016 Walleye catch rate was 3.44/gill net. Walleye captured had an average size of 15.83 inches in length and 1.33 lbs/fish. Walleye presence in Little Turtle is likely due to a combination of stocking in connected waters and natural reproduction throughout the chain. The Northern Pike catch rate was 8.11/gill net. While this is higher than desired, pike numbers have been declining the in the last two assessments. Pike had an average size of 20.33 inches in length and 1.76 lbs/fish. The largest Northern Pike captured in the 2016 assessment measured 33.78 inches in length. Largemouth Bass were captured, measured and released using electrofishing in mid-June to evaluate the population in Little Turtle Lake. In just over two hours of effort, 16 bass were captured with lengths from 12.6 to 19.5 inches and averaged 15.4 inches. Though few fish in total were captured, they were of quality sizes and definitely worth pursuing. Smallmouth bass were sampled in Big Turtle in 2016, but so far have not been documented in Little Turtle. The Black Crappie catch rate was 1.56/trap net. The average size of 11.0 inches and 0.87 lbs/fish was above the normal range found in similar lakes (0.22 lbs/fish - 0.48 lbs/fish). The Bluegill catch rate was 8.22/trap net. Bluegill had a good average size (7.27 inches in length and 0.40 lbs/fish) with good numbers of fish exceeding 8 inches in length. Other species of fish captured in the 2016 assessment were Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, Bowfin, Yellow Perch, Tullibee (Cisco), White Sucker, and Bullhead species.

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

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

Little Turtle has a maximum depth of 25 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Little Turtle is from 2021.

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