Swamper

Swamper Lake is a shallow, fairly heavily vegetated lake, that has in the past been considered susceptible to winterkill. For many years it was known primarily for supporting high numbers of small Northern Pike, despite a long history of stocking of other species. Stocking efforts (all considered failures) ceased after 2007. Since that time Walleye and panfish populations in the lake have improved considerably. In the current (2010) lake management plan, Bluegill and Northern Pike are listed as primary and secondary management species. Goals are to maintain a Bluegill population with a minimum trap net catch of 3.0 fish/set, with some fish over 8 inches, and to maintain a Northern Pike population with a minimum gill net catch of 3.0 fish/set, with a minimum mean weight of 1.5 lb/fish for fish taken in gill nets. This was the second of two surveys scheduled in the 2010 plan to determine whether Bluegill were reproducing in the lake, and to monitor the lake for attainment of long range goals for the two main management species. Results of these surveys will be used to revise the current plan over the winter of 2020. The winter of 2017-18 was harsh and long, and prompted winter dissolved oxygen testing on a few area lakes known to have been prone to low winter oxygen levels in the past. Dissolved oxygen was tested in Swamper Lake on 4 April 2018, and on that date levels seemed adequate, with no risk of winterkill. Results of summer netting confirmed no winterkill had occurred. In 2018 Bluegill appeared to have been abundant, but most were very small. The Bluegill trap net catch exceeded the goal from the 2010 plan, but did not include any fish over eight inches in length. In fact, no fish over six inches in length were found. It appeared that Bluegill had been reproducing with considerable success, and the catch in quarter-inch-mesh trap nets suggested the lake supported very high numbers of very small, very young fish. Swamper Lake has not been known as a destination for panfishing, so it is very unlikely that high harvest accounted for the lack of larger Bluegill. Growth of young Bluegill had been slow, even for this area, with fish reaching an average length of just 3.5 inches at the end of their third year. Bluegill faced competition for forage from abundant (but small) Hybrid Sunfish, and populations of Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass and Yellow Perch. Fair numbers of Northern Pike were found in 2018, and a few larger fish were present. The 2018 Northern Pike gill net catch met the goals for the species established in the 2010 plan, both in terms of numbers and size of fish taken. As in the past, most of the Northern Pike sampled were small, but a few fish over 25 inches (up to 33.7 inches) were taken. Northern Pike growth rates seemed to have been close to average for a lake of this type. Six year classes, including fish as old as nine years, contributed to the 2018 catch, with the strongest apparently produced in 2014. Since 2005 Walleye numbers in Swamper Lake appear to have increased significantly. Walleye were fairly abundant in 2018, and most of the Walleye collected were in the 16-20-inch length range. Eight year classes, all naturally produced, contributed to the 2018 catch, although none appeared to have been exceptionally strong. Walleye growth appeared to have been close to average for the area. A few of the Rock Bass and Yellow Perch collected in 2018 would have been large enough to have been of interest to anglers. Hybrid Sunfish and Pumpkinseeds taken in 2018 were all small. Small sunfish and Yellow Perch may have been the primary forage available to Walleye and Northern Pike. White Sucker were present, but their numbers were low. Most would have been too large to have been taken by any but the largest Northern Pike in the lake.

The winter of 2013-2014 was long and severe, and it seemed possible that some of the more susceptible lakes in Cook County might be subject to winterkill. Winter dissolved oxygen levels were checked on several lakes (including Swamper Lake), and were low on most of the shallow lakes checked. By 3 April 2014 only a thin layer of water (about one foot thick) under the ice appeared to have held enough oxygen to support fish in Swamper Lake, and ice cover persisted well into May. Nevertheless, the lake did not winterkill. Trap netting in June revealed the lake's major known fish species were still present, apparently in their usual abundance; northern pike, white sucker, walleye, and yellow perch were all found. Pumpkinseed sunfish and rock bass, taken in a 2013 assessment, were not caught in 2014, but bluegill were found, for the first time since 1990. Bluegill had last been stocked in 2007, so bluegill collected in 2014 were either quite old for their size, or had been produced naturally. Walleye collected in 2014 had certainly been produced naturally, since that species was last stocked in this lake in 2000. Swamper Lake has a reputation as a hammer-handle northern pike lake. However, the 2014 northern pike catch included fish as large as 30 inches, and several larger than 22 inches. From the wide range of lengths observed, it is likely that several year classes, all naturally produced, contributed to the catch.

Swamper Lake is a small, shallow lake that has been primarily known for producing large numbers of small northern pike. Bluegill were established as the primary management species in this lake in the 2001 lake management plan after previous attempts to management the lake for walleye were deemed to have failed. Management of the lake for bluegill (and northern pike) continued in the 2010 management plan revision. This was the first of two assessments scheduled in the 2010 plan to determine whether stocked bluegill had successfully reproduced, whether management goals for northern pike had been met, and whether a natural walleye population would persist. No bluegill were collected in 2013, suggesting long term survival of previous stockings had been poor, and that little or no natural reproduction had occurred. It appeared that the attempt to manage this lake for bluegill had failed. Although a few pumpkinseed sunfish and rock bass were present in 2013, they were too small to have provided any fishing opportunities. Northern pike were present in fair numbers in 2013, with some fish larger than 20 inches available. The 2010 management plan established goals for northern pike of a minimum gill net catch of 3.0 fish/net, with a minimum mean weight of 1.5 lb/fish. The 2013 gill net catch fell just short of the catch goal, but met the size goal. Four year classes contributed to the catch, with the 2010 year class accounting for half the fish taken. Growth of young fish had been somewhat faster than average; fish reached a mean length of 17.8 inches by the end of their third year, compared to a local average of 16.2 inches. The 2013 walleye gill net catch was the highest ever seen in this lake, and exceeded the normal range for the lake class. Many year classes, all naturally produced, contributed to the catch, including what appeared to have been fairly strong year classes produced in 2009 and 2008. Walleye growth had been about average for the area; four-year-old fish reached a mean length of 13.8 inches by the end of their fourth year. It was clear that walleye had not only persisted in Swamper Lake in the absence of stocking, but had developed a fairly high-quality population capable of supporting some good fishing. Forage for walleye and northern pike appeared to have been limited. The yellow perch gill net catch fell well below the normal range for the lake class, and few were taken in trap nets. White sucker were also not abundant, and most would have been too large to have been taken by any but the largest northern pike in the lake. No minnows were collected in 0.25-in-mesh trap nets.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Rock Bass, and Bluegill in Swamper. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Swamper has a maximum depth of 9.5 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Swamper is from 2018. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

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