Upper Trelipe

Upper Trelipe Lake is a 421-acre lake with 4.16 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 69 feet located southwest of Remer, MN. A Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) owned public access is located on the west shore. The DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. Upper Trelipe Lake is in Lake Class 23; lakes in this class are generally deep and clear. Other Lake class 23 lakes in the Walker Area include Baby, Mule, Man, and Stony. The lake is primarily managed for Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Black Crappie and secondarily for Northern Pike, Bluegill, Tullibee (Cisco), and Yellow Perch. A daily limit of five Sunfish was implemented in 2022 on Upper Trelipe. Walleye abundance did not meet the long-range management goal of at least six fish per net. Walleye lengths ranged from 12 to 25 inches with an average length of 18 inches. Northern Pike numbers are moderate and have remained within management goals since 1960. Sampled pike ranged in length from 16 to 36 inches with an average length of 21 inches. Black Crappie abundance was high, and lengths ranged from 4 to 12 inches with an average length of 9 inches. Bluegill abundance was similar to recent surveys but below management goals. Bluegill lengths ranged from 3 to 8 inches and fish averaged 5 inches long. Largemouth Bass ranged in length from 6 to 16 inches. Yellow Perch abundance remained low, well below management goals. A total of six Smallmouth Bass were sampled ranging in length from 13 to 16 inches. The first year Smallmouth Bass were captured in any MNDNR gear was 2019. Other fish sampled in Upper Trelipe Lake included Bowfin, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Currently, no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Upper Trelipe Lake. AIS are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local natural resource office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Walker Area Fisheries office.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species of Upper Trelipe Lake (DOW# 11-105; Lake Class 23) was conducted the week of June 28, 2019 by Walker Area Fisheries Staff to aid in determining the Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score for the lake. A total of ten 100-foot sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake shore, sampling a variety of habitat types. Each site was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot 1/8th-inch mesh seine, depending on habitat conditions. Sites where habitat conditions did not allow for seining were backpack electrofished unless conditions proved difficult for walking. These sites were backpack shocked from the boat. Nearshore sampling captured 20 species of fish including 10 species that are intolerant of disturbance (Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Least Darter, Mimic Shiner, Mottled Sculpin, Pugnose Shiner, Rock Bass, and Smallmouth Bass). The nearshore data was combined with data collected during a gill net and trap net survey conducted the week of August 26, 2019 to calculate a FIBI score for the lake. The FIBI Tool-2 was used for scoring and resulted in an FIBI score of 77, which is above both the impairment threshold (45) and the exceptional threshold (64) for this tool. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Leech Lake River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Upper Trelipe Lake (DOW# 11-0105) is a 421 acre lake with 143 littoral acres, 4.16 miles of shoreline, and a maximum depth of 69 feet located 12 miles east of Longville, MN. The DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Upper Trelipe Lake is in Lake Class 23; lakes in this class are generally deep and very clear lakes. Other area lakes in this class include Jack, Ponto, Mule, Stony, and Baby. A DNR owned public access is located on the north western shore. The lake is primarily managed for Largemouth Bass, Walleye and Black Crappie and secondarily for Northern Pike, Bluegill and Yellow Perch. Largemouth bass are moderately abundant ranging in length from 8 to 17 inches with an average length of 13 inches. Smallmouth Bass were sampled for the first time with fish up to 18 inches long present. Walleye are moderately abundant although the 2019 sample did not meet the management goal of six fish per gillnet despite even-year fingerling stocking since the early 2000's. Walleye ranged in length from 9 to nearly 20 inches, with an average length of 15 inches. Black crappie abundance is moderate and has been increasing since the 2011 survey. Crappie ranged in length from 4 to 13 inches with an average length of 10 inches. Bluegill abundance is low but size quality is high with fish up to 9 inches present, and 48 percent of the spring trap net sample measuring 7 inches or longer. Northern Pike are also moderately abundant with good sizes present; pike ranged in length from 18 to 39 inches with an average length of 25 inches. Tullibee (Cisco) are also present with fish up to 16 inches long sampled; these fish are an indicator of good water quality and provide high-quality forage for predators such as Northern Pike. Other fish sampled in survey were Rock Bass, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Bowfin (Dogfish) and Yellow Bullhead. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Currently, no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Upper Trelipe Lake. AIS are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local natural resource office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Walker Area Fisheries office.

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

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

Upper Trelipe has a maximum depth of 69 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Upper Trelipe is from 2023.

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