North Center Lake

A targeted survey of the nearshore fish community was conducted by Hinckley fisheries staff on North Center Lake on July 21, 2025. Nearshore sampling captured 15 species of fish: Black Crappie, Bluegill, Bluntnose Minnow, Central Mudminnow, Golden Shiner, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Iowa Darter, Johnny Darter, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Pumpkinseed, Spotfin Shiner, Spottail Shiner, and Yellow Perch. The nearshore survey data is combined with standard gill and trap netting survey data from previous North Center Lake surveys to calculate a Fish IBI (FIBI) score and helps assess aquatic life in North Center Lake. The FIBI score for North Center Lake based on this survey is below the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. This survey is contributing to a watershed assessment process in coordination with the MN Pollution Control Agency. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.

North Center Lake is located within Center City and connected to South Center Lake by a navigable channel. The lake receives heavy angling pressure. North Center is managed primarily for Walleye and Northern Pike, with Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Black Crappie as secondary species. Angler concern over statewide declines in Northern Pike quality called for additional special regulations in the early 2000's. A public meeting regarding Northern Pike management on North Center took place in the fall of 2002. The consensus was to implement a 24 to 36 inch protected slot limit starting in 2003. An ice out trap netting survey was conducted on North Center Lake during the middle of April 2022 to attain length frequencies of pike in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the protected slot limit. Sixty trap net lifts over a 6 day period sampled 72 Northern Pike. Pike ranged from 15.1 to 39.8 inches in length and averaged 27.2 inches. The special regulation in place will protect medium sized fish until they attain a large size for anglers while allowing harvest of the numerous smaller fish. Anglers can expect to catch moderate numbers of smaller sized Northern Pike with the opportunity to catch and release good numbers of fish within the protected slot.

North Center Lake is a 725-acre lake located in Chisago County. The lake is managed primarily for Largemouth Bass and Walleye, with Northern Pike and Bluegill as the secondary species. North Center Lake suffered a winterkill event in March 2014. An electrofishing assessment was done shortly after ice out in 2014. The following species were observed in the evaluation: Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, Bowfin, Black Bullhead, Black Crappie, Northern Pike, Common Carp, and Bluegill. Based on catches in this assessment it appears as if the populations of most species have returned to pre-winterkill levels. The Walleye gill net (GN) catch rate in 2021 was 5 fish per net. This was above the previous survey's catch and above the long-term average catch rate of 3.4 fish per gill net. Mean length of Walleye in gill nets was 21.8 inches, with a range of 15.6 to 27.8 inches. The Walleye population is maintained through fry stocking biennially in even-numbered years. Based on the 2021 GN catch it would appear the Walleye population is in good shape. The Northern Pike gill net catch rate was 6.1 fish per net. This catch was above the the long term average, but below the 2017 catch rate of 14.3 per net. Mean length of Northern Pike in gill nets was 25.6 inches, with a range of 18.5 to 34.7 inches. Yellow Perch have historically fluctuated in abundance in North Center Lake. The 2021 catch rate was one of the highest across the last fourteen surveys on the lake. The catch rate was 12.2 per gill net in 2021, exceeding the historic average catch rate of 9.7 per net. Most of the fish were between 5.5 and 6.9 inches, so they are on the small side for angler harvest but they do provide a solid forage base for the Walleye and Northern Pike in the lake. Based on the 2021 gill net catch of Black Crappie, the abundance was below average for North Center Lake but within the normal range for similar lakes. The gill net catch rate was up substantially since the 2017 survey, but far from the catch rates of the early 2000s. Crappies caught in the gill nets ranged in length from 5.3 to 8.9 inches with a 7.1 inch average. In addition to the fish caught in gill nets, Black Crappies were captured in the trap nets. The average size of these fish was 7.4 inches with a length range of 4.2 to 9.5 inches. Trap nets were used during the population assessment to estimate Bluegill abundance and size range. The 2021 catch rate was 144.2 per trap net. The 2021 catch was the most caught in any survey dating back to 1956 in both number and catch rate. Bluegill sampled in trap nets ranged in size from 3.5 to 7.8 inches with most fish from 6.0 to 6.9 inches in length. The mean length was 6.1 inches as compared to a mean length of 6.4 inches in 2017. In addition to the fish caught in trap nets, Bluegill were also captured in the gill nets. The average size of these fish was 5.7 inches with a length range of 3.5 to 8.0 inches. There is currently a large population of Bluegill, although they are running slightly smaller than in previous surveys. The Largemouth Bass catch rate decreased from 137.5 per hour in 2017 to 55.3 per hour in 2021. Mean length was 12.2 inches with a length range of 7.8 to 18.5 inches. In 2017 the average length was 11.7 inches and lengths ranged from 5.6 to 18.0 inches. Even though the catch of Largemouth Bass decreased since 2017, there are still likely plenty of fish for anglers to catch and the average size was slightly larger in 2021. Overall, the fishing on North Center Lake for many species should be quite good. There are good numbers of Yellow Perch, Bluegill, Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, and Northern Pike based on this survey.

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

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

North Center Lake has a maximum depth of 46 feet and a mean depth of 7 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in North Center Lake is from 2021.

Yes — North Center Lake has confirmed Eurasian watermilfoil. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.