Moose

Moose Lake is a 132 acre lake located on the border of Beltrami and Clearwater counties about 3.5 miles south of US Highway 2. A county maintained, earthen public assess is located on the west side of the lake off of 320th Street with space for about five vehicles with trailers. Due to low water, the lake is only accessible from the public access via carry-in or small watercraft. The majority of the shoreline is undeveloped and forested but a few houses are scattered around the 2.9 miles of shoreline. The Little Mississippi flows through and exits on the southeast side towards Lake Manomin (Rice) before merging with the Mississippi River. With a maximum depth of 13 feet, vegetation covers the majority the lake bottom which provides habitat for the Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, and panfish populations which comprise a high percentage of the gamefish community. Newly hatched Walleye fry are stocked on even numbered years. Bluegill and Black Crappie would also be stocked in the case of a winterkill but no winterkill events have been documented since 1977. Currently, no experimental or special regulations are in effect on the lake. Bluegills are present in moderate numbers with some exceeding 10 inches in length. However, average size declined from the previous survey to 6.6 inches in 2025. Black Crappies are also present with sizes ranging up to 11.8 inches. Walleye are also few and far between. Though stocked as fry every other year, the abundant panfish populations make it difficult for Walleyes to gain a foothold. On the other hand, Northern Pike were captured in strong numbers and averaged 21.3 inches in length from the gill net catch. Pike exceeding 35 inches were measured during the survey and can serve as an excellent alternative to Walleye for anglers. Yellow Perch are the primary food source for both Northern Pike and Walleye and are very important for the health of the lake. A few fish were found at harvestable sizes but most were below the 8 inch mark.

Moose Lake is a 124 acre lake located on the border of Beltrami and Clearwater counties about 3.5 miles south of US Highway 2. A county-owned, primitive public access is located on the west end of the lake off of 320th Street with space for about five vehicles with trailers. The majority of the shoreline is undeveloped and forested but a few houses are scattered around the 2.9 miles of shoreline. The Little Mississippi River flows through the lake and exits on the southeast side, flowing through Lake Manomin before joining the Mississippi River. With a maximum depth of 13 feet, vegetation covers the majority the lake bottom which provides habitat for the Northern Pike and panfish populations which comprise the majority of the fish community. Walleye fry stocking occurs on even numbered years. Bluegill and Black Crappie would also be re-introduced in the event of a winterkill but this has not occurred since 1977. Currently, no experimental or special regulations exist on the lake. Bluegills are present in moderate numbers with sizes up to 10 inches. The average size in 2014 was 8.4 inches making Moose Lake an excellent destination for quality-sized panfish quietly off the beaten path. Black Crappies are also present with sizes ranging up to 12.5 inches. Walleye are few and far between; however, catching a large fish is possible. Of note, a 28 inch fish was captured and released during the 2014 survey. Northern Pike is the most abundant predator fish inhabiting Moose Lake. This species averaged 18.9 inches in length in the 2014 fish population assessment. The opportunity to harvest some of these fish in small to medium sizes ranging up to 26 inches can serve as an excellent alternative for the consumptive angler. Yellow Perch are present in good numbers and are the primary food source for both Northern Pike and Walleye. A few fish were found at harvestable sizes in 2014 but most were below the 8 inch mark.

THE GILL NETS SHOWED A POPULATION OF YELLOW PERCH AND WALLEYE BELOW LOCAL MEANS BUT BECAUSE OF LACK OF OXYGEN BELOW 8', THE ABOVE NORMAL POPULA- TIONS IN THE TRAPNETS WOULD BE A TRUER REPRESEN- TATION. THE GILLNETS SHOW THE NORTHERN PIKE AND WHITE SUCKER TO BE ABOVE LOCAL MEANS. BLACK CRAP- PIE, BLUEGILL, PUMPKINSEED, AND BLACK BULLHEAD WERE ALL ABOVE LOCAL MEANS IN THE TRAP NETS WHILE BROWN BULLHEAD AND LARGEMOUTH BASS WERE NEAR THE MEAN AND ROCK BASS, BELOW. AGE CLASS DISTRIBUTIONS SHOWED WALLEYE FROM YEARS WHEN STOCKING DID NOT TAKE PLACE INDICATING SOME NATURAL REPRODUCTION.

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

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

Moose has a maximum depth of 13 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

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