Webb

Webb Lake (DOW# 11-0311; Lake Class 27) is a 720-acre lake with 278 littoral acres, 7.1 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 84 feet located northeast of Hackensack, MN. There is a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) owned public access on the south shore. The lake is primarily managed for Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, and Walleye, and secondarily for Black Crappie, Bluegill, and Yellow Perch. MNDNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Webb Lake is in lake class 27; lakes in this class are generally large, deep, and regularly shaped. Other area lakes in this class include Ada, Crooked, and Portage. Webb Lake is a great multi-species lake with potential to produce trophy size fish. Largemouth Bass were abundant with fish from 5 to 15 inches sampled. Management goals are based on spring electrofishing which was not conducted in 2025. Northern Pike are abundant yet below the maximum management goal. Northern Pike size structure goals were not met, with fish from 10 to 32 inches sampled. Walleye abundance has remained low and not met management goals since 2015. Lengths ranged from 15 to 23 inches with an average length of 18 inches. Moderate numbers of Black Crappie were sampled with fish from 4 to 12 inches present. Management goals are still being developed for this species in this lake. Bluegill catch rates exceeded the abundance goal and partially met size goals. Bluegills measuring up to 9 inches were present in the catch. Yellow Perch abundance was low and did not meet management goals. Perch up to 9 inches long were sampled. Three Smallmouth Bass were sampled ranging from 6 to 16 inches in length. This is the first time this species has been sampled in a standard lake survey in this lake. Other fish species sampled include, 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 Webb 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 the nearshore and littoral fish community in Webb Lake was conducted by Fisheries Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff from 21-23 June 2022. Fourteen sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 15-foot or 50-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 14 sites with two sites sampled from the boat. A 50-foot seine was used to sample eight sites, a 15-foot seine was used at three sites, and soft sediments with abundant vegetation and deep water prevented the use of seines at three sampling sites. Nearshore sampling captured 18 native species of fish including seven species that are intolerant of disturbance (Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, Logperch, Mimic Shiner, Rock Bass, and Smallmouth Bass) and no species that are tolerant of disturbance. A concurrent summer trap net survey was conducted on 21-23 June 2022 by IBI Program Staff. Twelve trap nets were set along the shoreline that encompassed multiple habitat types. Bluegill comprised a majority of the trap net catch by number and Bluegill and Yellow Bullhead comprised a majority of the catch by biomass. The number of Bluegill sampled per net was greater than the 75% quartile for similar Lake Class 27 lakes and the average length was 6.0 inches, with 21% over 7 inches. The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from a June 2021 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., Black Bullhead, Fathead Minnow, and Green Sunfish). 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. Minnesota DNR Fisheries IBI program staff assessed lakeshore habitat on Webb Lake on Sep 12th, 2022, following the Score the Shore survey protocols. The assessment consisted of 57 survey sites evenly spaced 200 meters around the lake. Assessments were made in three habitat zones: Shoreline Zone (the shore-water interface to the top of the natural bank), Shoreland Zone (land-ward from shoreline to development structure or 100 feet), and Aquatic Zone (lake-ward 50 feet of shoreline). The average lakewide habitat score was 72.0 (±2.6) out of 100 possible and indicates there is moderate quality lakeshore habitat. Approximately 64% of the sites were developed with a mean score of 65.1 (±3.3), while undeveloped sites had a mean score of 84.7 (±2.4). Results from this survey indicate Webb Lake is in good health as indicated by an FIBI score above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Leech Lake River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Webb Lake is a 720-acre lake with 278 littoral acres, 7.08 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 84 feet located northeast of Hackensack, MN. There is a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) owned public access on the south shore. The DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Webb Lake is in lake class 27; lakes in this class are generally large, deep, regularly shaped lakes. Other area lakes in this class include Ada, Crooked, and Portage. Northern Pike abundance was the highest ever observed and exceeded the maximum management goal. Northern Pike average length and weight were 19 inches and 1.5 pounds. Although Northern Pike size structure goals were not met fish up to 35 inches were sampled. Walleye abundance has remained low and below management goals since 2015. Lengths ranged from 12 to 28 inches with an average length of 19 inches. Yellow Perch abundance increased from previous surveys, and met management goals. Perch up to 10 inches long were sampled. The 2021 spring electrofishing survey sampled high numbers of Largemouth Bass which exceeded both abundance and size structure management goals. Bass up to 15 inches long were sampled. Bluegill abundance and size structure exceeded management goals, with an average size of 5 inches and fish up to 8 inches sampled. Black Crappie had an average length of 6 inches and fish up to 10 inches long sampled. Management goals have not been established for Black Crappie. Other fish species sampled include, 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 Webb 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 Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, Rock Bass, Hybrid Sunfish, and Walleye in Webb. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Webb has a maximum depth of 84 feet and a mean depth of 20.9 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

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