Cedar

Cedar Lake is a 98-acre lake with a maximum depth of 42 feet. Approximately 51% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. The lake is located 1.5 miles southeast of Whipholt. The lake is connected to Leech Lake to the north via Cedar Creek which is unnavigable. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different lake classess based on physical and chemical characteristics. Cedar Lake is in lake class 28. Lakes in this class are typically small in size, moderately deep, and have good water clarity. Other area lakes in the same lake class include Alice, Anoway, Johnson, and Kerr Lakes. The lake is entirely within the Chippewa National Forest and Leech Lake Indian Reservation. The shoreline is entirely undeveloped. There is a carry-in access for smaller boats on the south end of the lake off of Old Grade Road (Forest Road 2312). Cedar Lake offers good angling for bluegill, black crappie, northern pike, and largemouth bass.Black crappie abundance is comparable to other similar lakes. Fish sampled showed a wide range of lengths. Anglers can expect to catch fish in the 8 to 10 inch range with opportunities to catch larger fish. There were four different ages (year class) of black crappie. Fish grew at a rate that was typical of other similar area lakes. It takes a black crappie four years to become eight inches long. Because it takes so long to grow a large crappie, "slab" crappies are becoming less common. Anglers need to release larger fish and keep the smaller fish for eating.Northern pike abundance was comparable to other similar lakes. The fish sampled were generally small with most under 23 inches long. Seven different year classes were identified indicating that they were spawning consistently. Growth was average. It took five years for a female northern to become 23 inches long.Bluegill abundance was unchanged from 1987. Eleven different year classes were identified which meant there were bluegill growing up from each year. In Cedar Lake, it takes five years for a bluegill to grow to five inches. To maintain or improve the quality, anglers need to use some restraint if large bluegill are really biting. Release the larger bluegill and keep the smaller ones for eating. Quality size bluegill have disappeared from many lakes due to excessive harvest by anglers.Cedar Lake is also well known for its largemouth bass angling. There is much cover for bass along the shoreline especially dead trees in the water. The excitement of catching quality size bass can only be maintained if anglers practice catch and release.Other species sampled include yellow perch, rock bass, pumpkinseed sunfish, and bullheads.The DNR does not stock any fish in Cedar Lake. The fish species present are able to sustain their numbers through natural reproduction. This usually means that there is good fish habitat to sustain fish populations. 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 size fish. Releasing these fish will help maintain the fish population in Cedar Lake and will provide anglers with opportunities to catch more and larger fish in the future. Large fish can help maintain balance in the fish community.

SPECIAL PROBLEMS:LOW FERTILITY, TOTAL PHOSPHOROUS AT 0.003 PPM. POOR PUBLIC ACCESS BUT IMPROVEMENT OF ACCESS MAY INCREASE FISHING PRESSURE TO A POINT WHICH THE LAKE COULD NOT SUPPORT.ADDITIONAL FIELD NOTES:MANY DEAD, ROOTED TREES AROUND PERIMETER OF LAKE INDICATING THAT THE WATER LEVEL HAS RISEN. OSPREY NEST ON A POINT IN THE CENTER OF THE LAKE.PRESENT FISH POPULLATION:THE FISH POPULATION IN CEDAR LAKE IS COMPRISED MAINLY OF CENTRARCHIDS AND LESS ABUNDANT POPULATIONS OF NORTHERN PIKE AND YELLOW PERCH. A MONTH PREVIOUS TO THIS LAKE SURVEY THE LEECH LAKE RESERVATION, FISHERIES DEPARTMENT CONDUCTED A MARK AND RECAPTURE SURVEY. THEY ALSO FOUND THAT THE BULK OF THE FISH POPULATION WAS MADE UP OF CENTRARCHIDS AND LESSER NUMBERS OF NORTHERN PIKE AND YELLOW PERCH; BUT UNLIKE OUR SURVEY, THE FOUND SMALL POPULATIONS OF BULLHEADS AND WHITE SUCKER.AGE AND GROWTH ANALYSIS DONE ON BLUEGILLS, BLACK CRAPPIES, AND NORTHERN PIKE SHOWS THAT BOTH BLUEGILL AND NORTHERN PIKE HAVE GOOD NATURAL REPRODUCTION, WITH ALL YEAR CLASSES BEING PRESENT. BLUEGILL SHOW SLOW GROWTH. THE NORTHERN PIKE GROWTH RATES SLOWS CONSIDERABLY AFTER REACHING TWO YEARS OLD. OUR SAMPLE OF BLACK CRAPPIE WAS SMALL AND CONSISTED OF FISH UNDER EIGHT INCHES IN LENGTH. MISSING YEAR CLASSES WERE ALSO NOTED. IN THE MARK AND RECAPTURE SURVEY DONE BY THE LEECH LAKE RESERVATION, BLACK CRAPPIE WERE FOUND TO BE ABUNDANT, AND ACCORDING TO THE RESERVATION'S LENGTH FREQUENCY, BLACK CRAPPIE WERE CAUGHT IN EVERY HALF-INCH GROUP FROM 6.0 INCHES TO 13.4 INCHES INDICATING GOOD NATURAL REPRODUCTION AND GOOD RECRUITMENT OF CRAPPIE TO A DESIREABLE SIZE. THE LIKELY REASON FEWER CRAPPIE WERE CAPTURED IN THIS SURVEY WAS THE LESS INTENSIVE NETTING EFFORT.

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

Cedar has a maximum depth of 42 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Cedar is from 1999. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

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