Woman

Woman Lake (DOW# 11-0201; Lake Class 22) is a 5,520-acre lake with 1,953 littoral acres, 30.31 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 54 feet located southwest of Longville, Minnesota. Two DNR owned public accesses are located on the north shore. Child (11-0263) and Girl (11-0174) lakes are connected to Woman through navigable channels. The DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Woman Lake is in Lake Class 22; lakes in this class are generally clear, large, deep lakes with a low percentage of shallow water area and have very irregularly shaped shorelines with many bays or points. Other lakes in this lake class in the Walker area include Little Boy, Pine Mountain, Steamboat, and Ten Mile. This was a spring electrofishing survey to assess the Black Crappie, Bluegill, Largemouth and Smallmouth bass populations in Woman Lake. This was the first survey targeting Black Crappie and Bluegill in an effort to develop long term management goals. Black Crappie were sampled in moderate numbers and ranged in length from 2 to 12 inches with a mean length of 9 inches. Bluegill were sampled in high numbers and ranged in length from 2 to 9 inches with a mean length of 5 inches. Largemouth Bass are abundant in vegetated areas of Woman Lake. Largemouth Bass sampled from electrofishing ranged in length from 3 to 20 inches with a mean length of 10 inches. Angling for Smallmouth Bass has become increasingly popular on Woman Lake. Smallmouth Bass ranged in length from 5 to 19 inches with a mean length of 15 inches. 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. Invasive species identified in Woman Lake are Zebra Mussel, Purple Loosestrife, Rusty Crayfish, and Banded Mystery Snail. In addition, invasive species identified in Girl Lake, but not yet identified in Woman Lake, which is connected to Girl Lake through a navigable channel, are Eurasian Water Milfoil and Curly Leaf Pondweed. AIS (aquatic invasive species) 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.

Woman Lake is a 5,520-acre lake with 30 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 54 feet located southwest of Longville, Minnesota. Child and Girl lakes are connected to Woman by way of the Boy River. Two Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) owned public accesses are located on the north shore. The MNDNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Woman Lake is in Lake Class 22; lakes in this class are generally clear, large, deep lakes with a low percentage of shallow water area and have very irregularly shaped shorelines with many bays or points. Other lakes in this lake class in the Walker area include Little Boy, Pine Mountain, Steamboat, and Ten Mile lakes. Woman Lake is primarily managed for Walleye, Northern Pike, and Yellow Perch and secondarily for Black Crappie, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Muskellunge, Smallmouth Bass, and Tullibee (Cisco). A standard survey was completed on Woman Lake in 2024. Northern Pike are common in Woman Lake and numbers have remained within or below the long-range management goal, though the 2024 survey saw slightly lower catch rates than previous assessments. A 24-to-36-inch protected slot limit (PSL) for Northern Pike with a possession limit of three only one of which can be over 36" is currently in effect on Woman Lake. Sampled Northern Pike ranged in length from 10 to 30 inches with an average length of 24 inches. Bluegill are abundant and ranged in length from 3.5 to 8 inches with an average length of 5 inches. Smallmouth Bass ranged in length from 7 to 18 inches, with an average length of 13 inches. Electrofishing surveys targeting Smallmouth Bass are required to develop population specific goals. Walleye abundance reached a historical high in 2024 and exceeded the long-range management goal. Walleye ranged in length from 9 to 24 inches with an average length of 14 inches. Moderate numbers of Black Crappie were sampled ranging in length from 5 to 12 inches. Tullibee (Cisco) catch was low relative to previous surveys. Yellow Perch abundance has met the long-range management goal in the last two surveys (2022 and 2024). Other species sampled in Woman Lake included Bowfin (Dogfish), Muskellunge, Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, 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. Zebra Mussels, Purple loosestrife, Rusty Crayfish and Banded Mystery snails have been identified in Woman 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 a novel 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 Woman Lake was conducted beginning on July 12, 2023, 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 twenty-four sampling stations, but three stations were sampled from the boat due to site conditions. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample fifteen stations, a 15-foot seine was used at five stations, and site conditions prevented the use of seines at four stations. Nearshore sampling captured twenty-seven species of fish including eleven species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Burbot, Iowa Darter, Mimic Shiner, Mottled Sculpin, Northern Sunfish, Pugnose Shiner, Rock Bass, and Smallmouth Bass) and one that is tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Fathead Minnow). A concurrent summer trap net survey was also conducted by IBI Program staff. Fifteen trap nets were set along the shoreline in locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Trap net sampling captured fourteen species of fish, including two that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Rock Bass and Smallmouth Bass). Bluegill comprised a majority of the catch by number, whereas Bowfin comprised a majority by biomass. The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from a September 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., Fathead Minnow). 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 indicate that the fish community in Woman Lake is healthy as indicated by an FIBI score that exceeds the exceptional use threshold determined for similar lakes. These results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Leech Lake River Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Smallmouth Bass, Muskellunge, Walleye, Black Crappie, and Rock Bass in Woman. 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 Woman. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

Woman has a maximum depth of 54 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

Yes — Woman has confirmed zebra mussel. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.