North Lindstrom

North Lindstrom Lake is a fertile 137 acre basin located in southern Chisago County within the city of Lindstrom. The lake's south shore is connected to South Lindstrom Lake by a narrow channel, navigable at normal water levels. North Center Lake connects to the north east end of the lake by a 3/4 mile stream. The shore is predominately sand and the water clarity is relatively good compared to other area lakes. Development is lighter than nearby lakes. Fishing pressure has likely increased in recent years due to the higher water levels increasing the ease of navigation from South Lindstrom Lake. The current lake management plan lists Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Black Crappie as the primary management species. During July of 2019, a lake survey was conducted to evaluate the current status of the fishery in North Lindstrom Lake. Sampling gear types consisted of spring night electrofishing to sample Largemouth Bass and standard gill and trap nets to sample the remaining fish species. Northern Pike numbers reached another historic high, eclipsing the management goal and the norm for the lake type while maintaining an average size above both as well. Northerns averaged 25 inches and 3.5 pounds. Nearly two thirds of the Pike surpassed 26 inches in length. Spring night electrofishing found a high abundance of Largemouth Bass with an average size of 1.3 pounds and 12.8 inches. Lengths extended from 5.8 to 19.9 inches. The number of Bluegill Sunfish and Black Crappie sampled were within the normal range. Both species decreased moderately in size since the last evaluation. Seventeen percent of the Bluegill exceeded 7 inches while only 13% of the Crappie catch topped the 8 inch mark. Walleye have not been stocked in North Lindstrom Lake since 1978. The 2019 gill net catch rate for Walleye was below the lake type norm and likely the result of migration from neighboring lakes. Walleye averaged 21.1 inches and 3.4 pounds. Yellow Perch, an important forage species for Northern Pike and Walleye, were again sampled at a very low level. An angler fishing North Lindstrom Lake is likely to encounter a good number of nice sized Northern Pike or an occasional larger Walleye. Good numbers of good sized Largemouth Bass are also available while pan fish anglers will be busy but may have to sort through smaller fish to get a meal.

A survey of nearshore fish species was conducted on North Lindstrom Lake on July 3, 2019 by Hinckley fisheries staff. Ten sampling sites were evenly spaced around the shoreline and each site was sampled by electrofishing, and/or seining. Nearshore sampling captured 12 species of fish; Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, Hybrid Sunfish, Green Sunfish, Common Carp, Yellow Perch, Johnny Darter, Banded Killifish, Bluntnose Minnow, Spotfin Shiner, and Yellow Bullhead. The nearshore fish survey data is combined with gill net and trap net data from the July 2019 lake survey to describe the fish community and provide a fish-based Index of Biotic Integrity (FIBI) score based on expectations for similar lakes. The FIBI score for North Lindstrom 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. North Lindstrom Lake is located in the Lower St. Croix River Watershed. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.

North Lindstrom Lake is a fertile 137 acre basin located in southern Chisago County within the city of Lindstrom. The lake's south shore is connected to South Lindstrom Lake by a narrow channel that is navigable by small boat (<14') at normal water levels. North Center Lake is connected to the northeast end of the lake. The shore is predominately sand and the water clarity is relatively good compared to other area lakes. Development is lighter than nearby lakes. Fishing pressure has likely decreased in recent years. An access previously used by the public has been closed by the landowner, leaving only a city street end access which has no parking. The current lake management plan lists northern pike, largemouth bass, bluegill, and black crappie as the primary management species. During the summer of 2010, a population assessment was conducted to evaluate the current status of the fishery in North Lindstrom Lake. Sampling gear types consisted of spring night electrofishing to sample largemouth bass and standard gill and trap nets to sample the remaining fish species. Northern pike numbers were at a historic high but within the normal range for the lake type, while the average weight, at 3.7 pounds, was above the normal range. Two thirds of the captured northern pike surpassed 24 inches in length. Spring night electrofishing found a high abundance of largemouth bass with a somewhat small average size of 0.6 pounds. Lengths extended from 6.3 to 17.1 inches. The number of bluegill sunfish and black crappie sampled were within the normal range in all gear types. Both species have shown improvement in size since the last evaluation. Over one fourth of the bluegill exceeded 7 inches while more than half the crappie catch topped the 8 inch mark. Walleye have not been stocked in North Lindstrom Lake since 1978. The 2010 gill net catch rate for walleye was within the normal range and their average size was 2.8 pounds. Measured walleye ranged from 16.6 to 26.2 inches with an average length of 19.5 inches. Yellow perch, an important forage species for northern pike and walleye, were at a very low level Previous surveys indicate that perch numbers have historically been low and may easily be affected by the abundance of northern pike or walleye. The fish community was also made up of black, yellow, and brown bullhead, pumpkinseed, hybrid and green sunfish, bowfin (dogfish), golden shiner, and white sucker. An angler fishing North Lindstrom Lake is likely to encounter a good number of nice sized northern pike or an occasional larger walleye. An abundance of smaller largemouth are available with some quality sized bass also present. A good number of bluegill sunfish with bonus black crappie will keep panfish anglers busy. In the past, shore fishing has accounted for a lot of the open water fishing pressure on North Lindstrom Lake. Individuals who do not have access to a boat may want to consider this lake for bank fishing. Bank anglers primarily target panfish and northern pike. Because North Lindstrom Lake lies within a watershed that has a lot of urban/residential development, agricultural crop land, and livestock/pasture land the lake is subject to some degree of nutrient input. Such nutrient input can influence a lake's water clarity. Land users within the watershed can help maintain or improve the current water quality by protecting or re-establishing buffer strips, updating outdated or failing septic systems, using phosphorus free fertilizer on surrounding lawns, gardens, or crop land, utilizing farming practices that reduce run-off, limiting aquatic plant removal or disturbance, and limiting construction of impervious surfaces near the shoreline.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye, Pumpkinseed, and Hybrid Sunfish in North Lindstrom. 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 North Lindstrom. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

North Lindstrom has a maximum depth of 29 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in North Lindstrom is from 2019.

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