Long Lost

Long Lost Lake is a 501-acre lake with a maximum depth of 63 feet located 8 miles south of the town of Zerkel in southern Clearwater County. Lake levels rose considerably since the early 1990s but have receded several feet in recent years, although the lake is still higher than historic levels. This has resulted in extensive stands of flooded timber around the lakeshore. There are two DNR public water accesses located on the lake. The public access located on the south shore of the lake was previously flooded and remains unusable. The public access located on the east shore of the lake at the end of Seaberg Lane off of County Road 39 was also flooded. This ramp has remained usable, and boat launching is possible with parking available for 3 or 4 vehicles/trailers. Long Lost Lake is managed for Bluegill, Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Black Crappie, Northern Pike and Walleye. The lake is stocked annually with Walleye fry. Bluegill and Black Crappie are abundant in Long Lost Lake although trap net catch rates for both species were lower in the two most recent surveys (2017 and 2024) as compared to earlier population assessments (2000 through 2010). This may be related to the recent drop in water levels, which changed shoreline habitats where these nets are set. Gill nets on the other hand, showed good catch rates for both Bluegill and Black Crappie. Gill nets were set offshore in deeper water and captured quality-sized fish of both species, with Bluegill up to 8.5 inches in length and Black Crappie up to 11.7 inches in length. A good representation of smaller fish in the catch shows that reproduction has been consistent for both species in recent years. The flooded shorelines around the lake resulted in not only excellent habitat for panfish species but also benefits to Largemouth and Smallmouth bass. Interestingly, Long Lost is one of just a few lakes in the Bemidji area that holds Smallmouth Bass. Largemouth lengths ranged from 5.8 to 16.1 inches with an average of 12.3 inches while smallmouth lengths ranged from 12.0 to 17.2 inches with an average of 15.5 inches. Northern Pike numbers have been gradually increasing in Long Lost Lake over time, and the 2024 catch rate of 11 fish/gill net was well above the normal range found in similar lakes. Average size was on the small side at 20.3 inches, although some larger pike are present. The largest pike captured in the 2024 survey measured 32.3 inches in length, but only 12% of the pike catch was greater than 24 inches in length. The 2024 Walleye catch rate of 2.1 fish/gill net was below the median catch rate (3 fish/gill net) for similar lakes but was within the range observed (1.6-3.6) in the previous four assessments (2000 through 2017). Walleye had a good average size of 21.6 inches in length and 3.5 lbs/fish. The largest Walleye captured was 29.3 inches in length. Walleye captured ranged in age from age-2 to age-15, with almost one-third of fish in the sample age-6 or older. Other species of fish captured in the 2024 survey were Brown Bullhead, Pumpkinseed, White Sucker and Yellow Perch.

A targeted survey of the nearshore fish community in Long Lost Lake was conducted by Fisheries Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff starting August 19, 2019. 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 due to site conditions. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample six sites, a 15-foot seine was used at three sites, and soft sediments with abundant vegetation, dense woody habitat in the water, and deep water prevented the use of seines at five sampling sites. Nearshore sampling captured 10 native species of fish including one species that is intolerant of disturbance (Mimic Shiner) and no species that are tolerant of disturbance. Data from this targeted nearshore survey is combined with trap net and gill net data from a July 2017 standard survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based Index of Biological Integrity (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., Iowa Darter, Mimic Shiner, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Black Bullhead). 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. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Crow Wing River Watershed assessment of surface waters process completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Long Lost Lake is a 501-acre lake with a maximum depth of 63 feet located 8 miles south of the town of Zerkel in southern Clearwater County. Lake levels have fluctuated considerably since the early 1990's, and have receded approximately 3 feet in recent years although the lake is still quite a bit higher than historic levels. This has resulted in extensive stands of flooded timber around the lakeshore. There are two DNR public water accesses located on the lake. The public access located on the south shore of the lake is flooded and has been closed. The public access located on the east shore of the lake off of County Road 39 is also flooded; however, boat launching is possible and parking for 3 or 4 vehicles/trailers is available. Long Lost Lake is managed for Bluegill, Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Black Crappie, Northern Pike and Walleye. The lake is stocked annually with Walleye fry. Bluegill and Black Crappie are abundant in Long Lost Lake although trap net catch rates for both species were down from the most recent survey in 2010. This may be related to the recent drop in water levels, which changed the shoreline habitats where these nets are set. Gill nets, on the other hand showed good catch rates for both Bluegill and Black Crappie. Gill nets were set offshore in deeper water and captured quality-size fish of both species, with Bluegill up to 9.17 inches in length and Black Crappie up to 11.38 inches in length present. A good representation of smaller fish in the catch shows that reproduction has been consistent for both species in recent years. The flooded timber habitat around the lakeshore is excellent for panfish species as well as Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass. Actually, Long Lost is one of just a few lakes in the Bemidji area that contains Smallmouth Bass. Both species were assessed in early June by night electrofishing. In just under 2 hours of effort, 71 Largemouth and 23 Smallmouth Bass were captured, and these were good catch rates compared to other area bass lakes. Largemouth lengths ranged from 4.5 to 18.4 inches with an average of 11.3 inches while smallmouth lengths ranged from 5.1 to 15.7 inches with an average of 9.8 inches. Similar to the panfish catch, gill nets captured a better representation of larger Smallmouth Bass in the population, with an average length of 14.98 inches for gill net-caught smallies. Northern Pike numbers have been increasing in Long Lost Lake over time, and the 2017 catch rate of 8 fish/gill net was near the top of the normal range found in similar lakes. The average size was on the small side at 19.73 inches, although some larger pike are present. The largest pike captured measured 37.17 inches in length, but only 16% of the pike catch was greater than 24 inches in length. Long Lost Lake's pike population would likely benefit from the additional harvest of small Northern Pike that will be encouraged with the new statewide pike regulations that go into effect in 2018 and allow possession of up to 10 pike, with all fish from 22 to 26 inches immediately released and two fish over 26 inches allowed in possession. The 2017 Walleye catch rate of 3.63 fish/gill net was above the median catch rate (3 fish/gill net) for similar lakes. Walleye had a good average size of 17.87 inches in length and 1.98 lbs/fish. The largest Walleye captured was 23.35 inches in length. There were 7 consecutive year classes of Walleye identified from age-1 to age-7, which shows that recent Walleye fry stockings are surviving and contributing to the fishery. Other species of fish captured in the 2017 survey were Pumpkinseed, Hybrid Sunfish, Brown Bullhead and Yellow Perch. Perch were small with an average size of 6.49 inches and few fish that would be big enough to interest anglers.

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

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

Long Lost has a maximum depth of 63 feet and a mean depth of 12.5 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Long Lost is from 2024.

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