Big Deep

Big Deep Lake is a 484 acre lake with a maximum depth of 107 feet. It is located six miles east of Hackensack in northern Cass County. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types, based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. Big Deep Lake is in Lake Class 23. Other area lakes in this same class include Baby (located two miles north of Big Deep Lake), Deep Portage (located six miles northeast of Backus), Hay (located ten miles northeast of Backus), and Stony (located two miles northeast of Hackensack) Lakes. There is no public access on the lake and the only resort is on the north side of lake.An abundant northern pike population exists in Big Deep Lake. The average-size of sampled northern pike was 17.0 inches and weighed 1.3 pounds. Some northern pike larger than 28 inches were sampled. Growth was slow when compared to other area class 23 lakes.Walleye were sampled at a rate typical of other area class 23 lakes. The average-size of sampled walleye was 19 inches and weighed 2.7 pounds. It appears that some portion of the walleye population is immigrating from other lakes by way of the Boy River. Sampled walleye were growing at a good rate when compared to class 23 lakes.The bluegill that were sampled showed good quality with 19% of the sample larger than 7 inches. Quality has declined since 1972 when it was reported that 61% of the sample was larger than 7 inches. The growth rate for bluegill was slow. Six inch bluegill averaged eight years old.As in previous years, low numbers of black crappie and largemouth bass were sampled. Summer netting often does not sample these species relative to their abundance.Other fish sampled include yellow perch, pumpkinseed, rock bass, yellow bullhead, brown bullhead, black bullhead, and white sucker. Muskellunge have also been reported in Big Deep.To help maintain quality fish populations in Big Deep Lake, lake users should safeguard aquatic habitat by preserving or reestablishing aquatic plants and natural shorelines. Aquatic and terrestrial plants provide food and cover for fish and wildlife. They also help protect shorelines from erosion, and absorb nutrients and pollutants. Natural shorelines, shorelines that have not been altered by man, help protect a lake from silt-laden runoff water. They also provide excellent places for wildlife to feed, hide, and raise their young. Protection of the larger watershed that drains into Big Deep Lake is also needed for maintaining water quality.Anglers can help maintain or improve the quality fishing by practicing catch and release of medium to large-sized fish. Releasing these fish will help maintain the quality of the fish population and provide anglers with more opportunities to catch mor large fish in the future.

TLC ARE PRESENT AND PROVIDE EXCELLENT FORAGE FOR NOP AND WAE. THOUGH NOT MANY HAVE BEEN CAPTURED IN THE LAST THREE ASSESSMENTS, LAKE RESIDENTS REPORT THAT TLC ARE ABUNDANT.THE NOP GILL CATCH OF 12.5/GN IS HIGHER THAN THE HISTORICAL RANGE OF CATCHES (3.5 TO 9.9). FISH OVER 30 INCHES WERE PRESENT IN THE SAMPLE. ALL SIZES WERE COLLECTED INDICATING CONSISTENT NATURAL REPRODUCTION AND RECRUITMENT.MUE HAS REPORTEDLY BEEN CAUGHT BY ANGLERS THOUGH NONE HAVE EVER BEEN SAMPLED. THE BOY RIVER DOES FLOW INTO AND OUT OF THE LAKE.BULLHEAD (THREE SPECIES) CATCHES HAVE BEEN HIGHER DURING THE LAST TWO ASSESSMENTS THAN DURING THE 1972 AND 1953 ASSESSMENTS.THE BLG TRAPNET CATCH IS NOT HIGH (9.5/TN). THIRTEEN PERCENT OF THE BLG SAMPLED WERE GREATER THAN 7 INCHES IN LENGTH. IN THE SAMPLES OF BLG COLLECTED, THERE HAS BEEN A DECLINE IN THE PERCENTAGE GREATER THAN 8 INCHES (RSD-8 VALUES - 1972, 13%; 1985, 6%; 1990, 1%). THE BLG ARE SLOW GROWING.SMB ARE PRESENT. SEVERAL YEAR CLASSES WERE SAMPLED AND THEIR GROWTH RATE APPEARS TO BE FAST. SMB WERE NOT COLLECTED DURING THE 1953 AND 1972 ASSESSMENTS.LMB FROM 7 TO 14 INCHES LONG WERE SAMPLED. THEIR GROWTH RATE IS NEAR NORMAL.THE GILLNET CATCH OF YEP (0.5) IS VERY LOW. HISTORICALLY, IT HAS RANGED FROM 0.9 TO 7.0.THE WAE GILLNET CATCH OF 3.0 IS WITHIN THE HISTORICAL RANGE OF 1.2 TO 5.0. MOST OF THE WAE CAPTURED WERE GREATER THAN 17 INCHES LONG. THIS HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR ALL ASSESSMENTS CONDUCTED ON THE LAKE. THIS SUGGESTS THAT THE WAE POPULATION PRESENT MAY BE THE RESULT OF THE IMMIGRATION, DURING SPAWNING, OF SEXUALLY MATURE FISH FROM LAKES (MOST LIKELY WOMAN) DOWNSTREAM ON THE BOY RIVER. THREE FISH FROM THE 1988 YEAR CLASS WERE COLLECTED. THESE FISH WOULD BE THE RESULT OF NATURAL REPRODUCTION. THIS IS A STRONG YEAR CLASS IN MANY AREA LAKES.

NOP POPULATION IS NEARLY FOUR TIMES THE STATE AVERAGE BUT SOMEWHAT SMALLER AVERAGE SIZE. WAE POPULATIONS IS ONE AND A HALF TIMES THE STATE AVERAGE IN NUMBERS BUT THREE TIMES ABOVE AVERAGE IN SIZE. SMB AND LMB ARE ALSO ABOVE AVERAGE IN BOTH SIZE AND NUMBER. THE SUNFISH ALL RUN CLOSE TO AREA AVERAGE IN SIZE AND NUMBER.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Walleye, Rock Bass, Northern Pike, Black Crappie, and Bluegill in Big Deep. 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 Big Deep. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

Big Deep has a maximum depth of 107 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Big Deep is from 1995. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

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