Six Mile

Six Mile Lake is a 1,323-acre lake with 606 littoral acres, 7.77 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 68 feet located southeast of Bena, MN in the Chippewa National Forest. A US Forest Service owned public access and campground is located on the northeast shore. The DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Six Mile Lake is in Lake Class 27; lakes in this class are fairly large and deep, supporting diverse fisheries. Other area lakes in this class include Ada, Crooked, Lower Sucker, Pleasant, and Webb Lake. The lake is primarily managed for Northern Pike, Walleye, and Yellow Perch and secondarily for Largemouth Bass and Cisco. Six Mile Lake provides multi-species angling opportunity. Walleye abundance was above the management goal and lengths ranged from 9 to 22 inches with multiple age classes present in catch. Northern Pike abundance was within the management goal range, though size goals were not met. Pike measured between 14 and 32 inches and averaged 20 inches long. Yellow Perch abundance was below management goals, though size goals were achieved with the average perch measuring 7 inches. Bluegill abundance was low in 2025 however, quality fish were sampled. Cisco catch has shown a declining trend since early surveys. Other fish species that anglers can expect to encounter include, Black Bullhead, Bowfin, Brown Bullhead, 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 Six Mile 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 in Six Mile Lake, which is located wholly within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation Tribal boundary, was conducted on June 18th and 20th, 2024, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at eighteen sampling stations (backpack electrofishing from the boat at three stations). A 50-foot seine was used to sample thirteen stations, a 15-foot seine was used at three stations, and site conditions prevented the use of seines at two stations. Nearshore sampling captured twenty-four species of fish including seven species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Cisco, Iowa Darter, Mimic Shiner, and Rock Bass) and one that are tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Black Bullhead). The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from August 2022 survey to describe the fish community and provide a fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Green Sunfish and Common Carp). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Results from this survey provide evidence that the fish community in Six Mile Lake is healthy as indicated by an FIBI score that exceeds the MNDNR FIBI exceptional use threshold determined for similar lakes. You can help protect the fish community in Six Mile Lake by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species .

Six Mile Lake is a 1,323-acre lake with 7.77 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 68 feet located southeast of Bena, MN in the Chippewa National Forest. A US Forest Service owned public access and campground is located on the northeast shore. The DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Six Mile Lake is in Lake Class 27; lakes in this class are fairly large and deep, supporting diverse fisheries. Other area lakes in this class include Ada, Crooked, Lower Sucker, Pleasant, and Webb Lake. The lake is primarily managed for Northern Pike, Walleye, and Yellow Perch and secondarily for Largemouth Bass and Cisco. Six Mile Lake provides multi-species angling opportunity. Walleye abundance was above the management goal and lengths ranged from 9 to 21 inches with multiple age classes present in catch. Northern Pike abundance was within the management goal range, though size goals were not met. Pike measured between 16 and 27 inches and averaged 20 inches long. Yellow Perch abundance reached a historic low, though size goals were achieved with the average perch measuring 7 inches. Bluegill abundance was high in 2022, while Black Crappie were not effectively captured in sampling gear. Cisco catch has shown a declining trend since early surveys. Other fish species that anglers can expect to encounter include, Black Bullhead, Bowfin, Brown Bullhead, 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 Six Mile 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 Walleye, Black Crappie, Rock Bass, Northern Pike, and Yellow Perch in Six Mile. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Six Mile has a maximum depth of 68 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

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