Little Buzzle

Little Buzzle Lake is located 18 miles northwest of Bemidji, MN near the village of Pinewood in western Beltrami County. There is a county-owned public water access located on the south shore of the lake off Whitefish Road. The access is narrow and difficult to turn around in, making it more suitable for launching small boats and non-motorized watercraft. Parking is limited. The 78-acre lake has a maximum depth of 40 feet, but much of the lake is considerably shallower with abundant aquatic vegetation. Little Buzzle is managed primarily for Bluegill and Black Crappie. The 2019 Bluegill trap net catch rate of 10.4 fish per net was within the range typically seen in similar lakes. Bluegill over 8 inches in length were captured but did not make up a significant proportion of the catch (less than 10%). Given its small surface area and low productivity, Little Buzzle likely does not sustain much harvest of quality-size Bluegill. Black Crappie were captured in low numbers, which has been typical throughout the lake's survey history. The gill net catch rate of 1.7 fish per net was just above the median value for similar lakes. Fish approaching 10 inches in length were captured in this survey. As with Bluegill, Black Crappie production in the lake likely does not keep up with selective angler harvest of the largest fish caught. Northern Pike were abundant in the 2019 survey, with a gill net catch rate that was above the range typically found in similar lakes. Pike had a good average size of 21.5 inches in length and 2.7 lbs/fish. The largest pike captured in this survey measured 37 inches in length. Largemouth Bass are present in the lake but are not captured effectively in standard survey nets. Good habitat for bass exists in the form of weedlines, downed trees along the lakeshore and around beaver lodges. Bass anglers may find the effort rewarding. Other species of fish captured in the 2019 survey were Brown Bullhead, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Yellow Perch, and Hybrid Sunfish.

Little Buzzle Lake in southwestern Beltrami County near the village of Pinewood offers an opportunity to enjoy nature on a small, picturesque lake in a beautiful north woods setting. The lake is popular with local anglers, even though access is somewhat difficult due to the narrow dirt access road and limited turn-around space at the county-owned earthen boat ramp. With a surface area of 75 acres and a maximum depth of 27 feet, Little Buzzle presents a nice alternative for fishing on windy days. The lake is primarily managed for bluegill and black crappie and secondarily for northern pike and largemouth bass. Although a winterkill has never been documented on Little Buzzle, previous fish population assessments have revealed fish communities indicative of prior winterkill conditions. In 1999, black bullhead - a species tolerant of winterkill conditions - was the most abundant species captured, making up 81% of fish sampled in gill nets. However, in 2009, bullhead species comprised only 8% of the gill net sample. Also in 2009, bluegill - a species not tolerant of winterkill conditions - were more prevalent than bullheads and appear to be maintaining a higher density than would be expected for this type of lake. Bluegill size structure data also describes a fishery that is stabilizing. In 2009, mean length of bluegill captured in trap nets was 6.3 inches, substantially greater than the 1999 mean length of 4.9 inches. There were few bluegill captured in either 1999 or 2009 that were greater than eight inches long. Northern pike abundance was high in 2009, and has been consistently so throughout all population assessments. Even with a high population density, northern pike exhibited a surprisingly good size structure with 25% of fish in the gill net sample greater than 25 inches in length. Largemouth bass and black crappie are also present in Little Buzzle Lake in catchable numbers, although they were not well represented in the 2009 assessment.

Little Buzzle Lake, in southern Beltrami County near the village of Pinewood, offers an opportunity to enjoy nature on a small lake in a picturesque northwoods setting. Winter fish house counts indicate that angling pressure may be high relative to the lake's small size. Summer access by anglers with larger boats is difficult because of the small turn around area, but the lake still receives a fair amount of use. Because this lake has a small littoral area with steep dropoffs it is not as productive as many other lake types. And, since most of the fish are concentrated around the limited shoreline area, anglers can easily remove many of the quality sized fish from the lake. Natural reproduction is consistently good for most species so small fish are always abundant. Northern pike are numerous and can provide lots of action, but average size is small. The sunfish/bluegill population appears to be healthy with some larger fish available. Largemouth bass and black crappie are also found in Little Buzzle Lake in catchable numbers. Yellow perch and bullheads are common but most are small and of little interest to the angler. Anglers cleaning fish may encounter yellow grubs and/or black spot on fish fillets. These are common fish parasites that are not harmful to humans.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Northern Pike, Rock Bass, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, and Bluegill in Little Buzzle. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Little Buzzle has a maximum depth of 40 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Little Buzzle is from 2019.

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