Esther

Esther Lake is a small, 78-acre lake with a maximum depth of 35 ft and is located approximately 15 miles northwest of Hovland. There is a small boat access and a couple of camp sites located on the northeast side of the lake. Esther Lake is a designated stream trout lake and has been actively stocked with rainbow trout and splake since 1987. In 2024, a targeted survey was conducted using standard trap nets to assess the current fish community and evaluate the success of rainbow trout and splake stocking efforts. Splake are the primary management species within Esther Lake. Catch rates were down from the previous survey in 2015, and did not meet management goals. Splake were relatively small and ranged from 7.9 to 12.4 inches. Aging results revealed only three stocked year classes, which is a reduction from previous surveys that found older fish. Based on the size structure and aging results, anglers should expect to find low catch rates of smaller sized splake in Esther Lake. Rainbow trout abundance remains low within Esther Lake, but this has been the trend historically. Only two-year-old fish were found in the survey and averaged 11.5 inches in size. Anglers looking to catch rainbow trout should target Esther Lake in the spring/early summer when there seems to be more fish present from stocking efforts. White sucker catch rates were higher compared to similar lakes, but were average for Esther Lake based on previous surveys. Minnesota Lakes within Cook County continue to be susceptible to aquatic invasive species introductions. Invasive species have the potential to significantly alter fish communities and overall lake health. Anglers should clean watercraft and fishing gear, drain all water, and dispose of unused bait in the trash to prevent accidental introductions to these pristine waters within this part of the state.

Esther Lake has been managed for stream trout since at least 1946. For most of that time it was stocked with multiple species, usually including Rainbow Trout and Brook Trout or Splake. Since 2012 it has been managed exclusively for Splake. The 2010 lake management plan discontinued Rainbow and Brown Trout stocking as a cost-saving measure, and doubled the annual Splake fingerling stocking quota. This was the second of three standard surveys scheduled in the 2010 plan to evaluate stocking changes in this lake, and the first to be done under the new stocking regime. Splake were present in above-average numbers and average sizes in the fall of 2015. The Splake trap net catch in this survey fell short of the long range goal (3.0 fish/set) from the 2010 plan; however, the catch was above the average (1.60 fish/set) for catches in fall surveys of stream trout lakes in this area. The mean weight for Splake collected in trap nets fell within the normal range (0.57-1.21 lb/fish) for those surveys. Splake as old as five years were included in the catch, with all stockings done from 2010 through 2014 represented. Growth had been slow, with three-year-old fish reaching a mean length of just 10.1 inches at the end of their third year, compared to an area average of 12.8 inches. Slow growth has been common in this lake, and has most likely been due to intense competition from a large White Sucker population. The increase in the Splake stocking quota may also have contributed to the slow growth seen in this survey, by increasing competition between Splake for the limited forage available. The Brown Trout catch was low, but that was expected since none had been stocked since 2011. All of the Brown Trout taken would have been at least five years of age, and their small mean length (15.6 inches) suggested growth had probably been slow. Five-year-old Brown Trout in lakes in this area would typically reach a length of 17.5 inches in five years. Rainbow Trout were last stocked in 2011, and none were taken in this survey. It was very unlikely that any yearlings stocked in 2011 could have survived to 2015 in an accessible and heavily fished lake like Esther. The White Sucker trap net catch was the highest seen in this lake to date, but was still similar to most of those catches. The catch was well above the top of the normal range (4.29 fish/set) for fall surveys of stream trout lakes in this area. White Sucker compete with Splake for invertebrate forage, and their high abundance in this lake has almost certainly limited growth of stocked Splake.

This was the first of three assessments scheduled in the 2010 lake management plan to determine whether higher splake catches could be achieved by increasing stocking of splake and eliminating stocking of other species. Nearshore fish sampling using a seine and backpack electrofishing gear was done to provide information to the PCA to be used for the development of an Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) for lakes in NE Minnesota. Funding was provided by the Clean Water Legacy amendment. The splake trap net catch fell short of the long range goal in the 2010 lake management plan (3.00 fish/set), and fell below the median for fall assessments of stream trout lakes in this area (1.75 fish/set; 1950-2009 data); however, management actions in the 2010 plan designed to increase splake catches had not yet taken effect at the time of this assessment. The size goal from the 2010 plan (30 percent of fish over 12 inches in length) was met by the 2011 trap net catch. Several year classes contributed to the 2011 catch, which included fish as old as six years, and several adipose-fin-clipped, known-age five-year-old fish. Two-year-old fish from the 2009 fingerling stocking accounted for most of the splake catch in 2011. Splake growth had been very slow; three-year-old fish reached an average length of just 9.5 inches by the end of their third year, compared to an area average of 13.0 inches. Good long-term survival allowed Esther Lake to support a fairly high quality splake population, despite poor growth. No goals were set for rainbow trout or brown trout in the 2010 lake management plan because stocking of both species was to be discontinued after 2011. Gill net and trap net catches of rainbow trout in 2011 were close to average for that species in fall assessments in this area. All but one of the rainbow trout collected were from the 2011 yearling stocking. Rainbow trout yearlings stocked in 2011 had exhibited fair growth over the summer. They were stocked at an average weight of 0.30 lb/fish, and weighed an average of 0.46 lb/fish when captured in this assessment. Although brown trout had been regularly stocked for several years prior to this assessment, only two were collected. Both were fish from the 2011 yearling stocking. Growth of those fish may have been poor. Brown trout yearlings were stocked at a average weight of 0.17 lb/fish in 2011. Fish from that stocking collected in this assessment weighed an average of 0.26 lb/fish. White sucker catches in trap nets and gill nets each exceeded normal ranges for the lake class, but were not unusually high for this lake historically. White sucker compete with trout for invertebrate forage, and high white sucker abundance in Esther Lake is probably one of the main reasons splake growth has been slow. Esther Lake has been continuously managed for stream trout since at least 1946, but has never been rehabilitated with fish toxicants. Sampling in 2011 indicated it supported one of the more diverse nearshore fish communities seen in this area since nearshore sampling began in 2010. Sampling of the nearshore fish community was done using a 15-ft, one-eighth-inch-mesh beach seine and backpack electrofishing gear. Prior to sampling done in 2011, white sucker, splake, rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, lake trout, pearl dace, and blacknose shiner had been collected in Esther Lake. Brook trout were last collected in 1991, and lake trout in 1980. Nearshore sampling in 2011 added Iowa darter, brook stickleback, fathead minnow, finescale dace, and northern redbelly dace to the list of fish species known to be present in this lake.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Brown Trout, Splake, and Rainbow Trout in Esther. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Esther has a maximum depth of 35 feet and a mean depth of 16 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Esther is from 2015. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

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