Blind

Blind Lake (DOW # 11-155; Lake Class 21) is a 76-acre lake located near Manhattan Beach, MN. There is a county owned public access on the south shore 2 miles east of County Road 48. Blind Lake has 1.41 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 20 feet. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Blind Lake is in Lake Class 21; lakes in this class are generally very small, shallow, regularly shaped lakes. The lake is primarily managed for Northern Pike and Bluegill and secondarily For Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, and Yellow Perch. Blind Lake offers opportunities for anglers seeking quality panfish and Northern Pike. Northern pike in Blind Lake were abundant, with fish of quality size present. Fish up to 34 inches long were sampled, and the average length and weight of sampled Northern Pike was 23 inches and 2.7 pounds. Bluegill were abundant compared with other lakes in this class. Bluegill lengths ranged from 3 to just over 10 inches in the 2013 sample and the average length was 6.35 inches. Black Crappie are moderately abundant. Black crappie sampled from the summer assessment in 2013 averaged 8.3 inches long and lengths ranged from 3.5 to 13.4 inches. Yellow perch numbers declined to a record low in Blind Lake in 2013. Other species present that may interest anglers are Black Bullhead, Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, and Pumpkinseed. 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 Blind 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.

Blind Lake is an 82-acre lake located near Manhattan Beach, MN that has 1.67 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 20 feet. There is a county owned public access on the south shore 2 miles east of County Road 48. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Blind Lake is in Lake Class 21; lakes in this class are generally very small, shallow, regularly shaped lakes. Northern pike were abundant in Blind Lake compared to similar lakes of Lake Class 21. Fish up 36 inches were sampled and the average length was 21 inches. Bluegill were also abundant in Blind Lake. Those sampled in MNDNR summer netting ranged from 3 to 8 inches with an average length of 6 inches. Pumpkinseed sunfish were abundant though most were small with an average size just under 5 inches. The MNDNR test netting results indicate that black crappie were abundant in Blind Lake in 2003. Though most black crappie were small, with an average length about 7 inches, fish up to 10.5 inches were sampled. Though yellow perch are abundant, most were small, with a mean length of 6 inches. However, a few yellow perch from 8 to 11 inches were found. Few largemouth bass were sampled in 2003 by MNDNR test nets on Blind Lake, though spring netting sampled fish up to 20 inches. The 1993 survey indicated that anglers had reported good largemouth bass fishing on Blind Lake. Other fish species that are available to anglers to catch are brown bullhead and yellow bullhead. Anglers can help maintain or improve the quality of fishing by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest allows for the harvest of smaller fish for table fare, but encourages release of medium- to large-sized fish. Releasing these fish can help maintain balance in the fish community in Blind Lake and provide anglers the opportunity to catch more and larger fish in the future. Shoreline areas on the land and into the shallow water provide essential habitat for fish and wildlife that live in or near Minnesota's lakes. Overdeveloped shorelines can't support the fish, wildlife, and clean water that are associated with natural undeveloped lakes. The combined effects of all lakeshore owners "fixing up" their property can destroy a lake's valuable natural shorelines.Shoreline habitat consists of aquatic plants, woody plants and natural lake bottom soils. Plants in the water and at the water's edge provide habitat, prevent erosion and absorb excess nutrients. Shrubs, trees, and woody debris such as fallen trees or limbs provide good habitat both above and below the water and should be left in place. Natural lake bottom materials like silt or gravel are more ecologically productive than pure sand trucked in for a swimming beach. A tidy lawn and a sandy beach make great spots for sunbathing and swimming but do little to provide habitat for fish and wildlife. By leaving a buffer strip of natural vegetation along the shoreline, property owners can reduce erosion, help maintain water quality, and provide habitat and travel corridors for wildlife.Only if more lakeshore owners manage their shoreline in a natural condition can fish and wildlife populations on Minnesota lakes remain healthy and abundant. More specific information on protecting or restoring shorelines and watersheds is available through the local DNR Fisheries office.

Status of the Fishery Blind Lake (11-155)Minnesota lakes have been classified into 44 classifications based on a number of physical and chemicalparameters. Blind Lake belongs to lake class 21. Some other area lakes in the same lake are: Louise, Heffron,Primer and Stocking.Game fish species caught in nets during 1993 included northern pike, bluegill, black crappie, pumpkinseed,largemouth bass and yellow perch.Northern pike are abundant. Most are small however a few large fish are present. Bluegill are abundant with afair number of quality fish. At the time of the survey black crappie were abundant and small. Though few weresampled, largemouth bass fishing is reportedly good. The yellow perch were too small to be of interest toanglers, however they provide excellent food for northern pike.Other fish species caught included black, yellow and brown bullheads and several species of minnows.

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

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Blind. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

Blind has a maximum depth of 20 feet and a mean depth of 12 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Blind is from 2013. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

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