Dellwater

Dellwater Lake is a 199-acre lake located in western Beltrami County. The lake is classified as moderately productive and surround by forest and agricultural land. Water clarity averages 19 feet and the maximum depth is 29 feet. Dellwater has a mean depth of only 8 feet and is 82% littoral (< 15.0 feet), making it prone to partial winterkills. There are 2.5 miles of shoreline with no inlets or outlets connecting to other waterbodies. A public boat access is located on the western shore and has space for 10 vehicles. A standard survey was completed on Dellwater Lake in 2020 to assess the fish community. Gamefish species targeted by anglers in this lake include Bluegill, Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, and Yellow Perch. Northern Pike abundance was high and has steadily increased since 2005. Northern Pike ranged from 14 to 28 inches in length and averaged about 2 pounds each. With 72% of Northern Pike outside the statewide/zone protected slot of 22-26 inches, anglers should have the opportunity to catch harvestable sized fish. Bluegill lengths ranged from 4 to 8 inches and averaged 7 inches. Bluegill abundance was high and all but 1 fish were less than 8 inches long. Bluegill ages ranged from 1 to 10 years old. Bluegill growth is slow in Dellwater, with fish averaging just over 4 inches at 4 years old. The Bluegill population appears stunted due to high abundance, causing slow growth. Black Crappie ranged from 6 to nearly 11 inches and averaged around 9 inches. Black Crappie abundance has recovered since adults were stocked in 2002, following a partial winterkill. Black Crappie also grow slowly in Dellwater Lake. A total of 7 Largemouth Bass were captured with lengths ranging from 9 to 19 inches. Previous surveys targeting Largemouth Bass in 2006, 2008, and 2015 confirmed the population has reestablished following stocking to reintroduce the species in 2002. Yellow Perch are an important forage species for Northern Pike and Largemouth Bass. Yellow Perch abundance was below average compared to similar lakes in the area. Yellow Perch ranged from 6 to 7 inches in length. Other species sampled during the survey included Brown Bullhead, hybrid sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, and White Sucker. Currently no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been found in Dellwater Lake. AIS can be transferred by anglers and boats from infested to non-infested waterbodies. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants and animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the lake. Please follow the current AIS regulations to avoid spreading to other lakes.

Dellwater Lake is a 180-acre lake in western Beltrami County. With a maximum depth of 32 feet and a 133 acre littoral zone, Dellwater is prone to occasional winterkills. Most likely due to such an event, a standard population assessment conducted in 2000 failed to sample any Largemouth Bass (LMB). This initiated a re-introductory stocking of 4620 LMB fingerlings in 2002. In turn, the stocking prompted periodic monitoring. In early June of 2015, a night electrofishing assessment took place on Dellwater Lake. This targeted effort collected 58 LMB for measurement before being released back into the lake. This resulted in a catch rate of 44.4 LMB/hour of electrofishing. Lengths ranged from 8.5 to 18.9 inches with an average of 14.3 inches. This assessment yielded the highest catch rate and largest average lengths of any since before 2000. From these results, it appears that the recovered LMB population is healthy and continuing to expand in Dellwater Lake.

Dellwater Lake is a 198-acre lake with a maximum depth of 29 feet located approximately 30 miles west of the city of Blackduck in Beltrami County. Much of the lake basin is shallow with abundant aquatic vegetation and an average depth of 8 feet. This survey was conducted to evaluate the status of the Black Crappie population of Dellwater Lake, which was reintroduced through stocking after a severe winterkill event occurred in the winter of 1996. Dellwater Lake was re-stocked with adult Black Crappie prior to spawning in 2002, 2006 and 2007. The 2015 survey captured a total of 65 Black Crappie resulting in a catch rate of 3.82/trap net. A total of 5 year classes of Black Crappie were identified in the catch, with 85% of the catch comprised of age-4 (2011 year class) and age-5 (2010 year class) fish. A small number of Black Crappie from the 2007 stocking were identified. Black Crappie captured ranged from 5.12 inches to 10.75 inches with an average size of 7.53 inches in length. While the re-establishment and successful reproduction of the species was confirmed, age and growth analysis showed that Black Crappie in Dellwater Lake are growing slowly in comparison to other area lakes, which may limit the maximum size they are able to obtain. The lake currently has high numbers of small Bluegill that are directly competing with Black Crappie for forage, which may be hindering Black Crappie growth rates. The most notable fishing opportunities on Dellwater Lake at this time are for Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike, which are able to utilize the abundant, small Bluegill as forage. While not recorded in the catch, numerous Largemouth Bass up to 19 inches in length and northern pike exceeding 24 inches in length were captured in this survey.

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

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

Dellwater has a maximum depth of 29 feet and a mean depth of 8 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Dellwater is from 2020.

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