Talus

Talus is a small, designated stream trout lake located 25 miles north of Grand Marais in the Lake Superior North watershed, discharging to that lake via West Twin Lake, Bluff Creek, and the Brule River. Public access is through portages from either Kemo Lake or West Twin Lake. Talus has been managed exclusively for rainbow trout with stocking since 1959. The 2023 survey was conducted to evaluate the growth and survival of stocked rainbow trout year classes. Rainbow trout abundance was very low in 2023 continuing a decline since the 2012 survey. Catch rates were similar to other area lakes. Rainbow trout captured in this survey ranged from 7.5 to 14.5 inches. Aging results indicated that two year classes were present, age 1 and age 3, from the 2022 and 2020 stocking events. Growth appeared to be below average for similar rainbow trout lakes with fish reaching 9.29 inches at age-2 compared to area mean of 11.4 inches. The white sucker catch in 2023 was again high for Talus lake and above the normal range found in spring surveys of stream trout lakes in this area. White sucker compete with trout for invertebrate forage, and the high numbers observed may account for slow rainbow trout growth observed in recent surveys. White sucker removals may be considered if the performance of rainbow trout continues to be low. Cook County, Minnesota lakes 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.

Talus is a designated stream trout lake that has been managed exclusively for Rainbow Trout since 1959. This survey was the first of two scheduled in the 2014 lake management plan to determine whether growth and survival of stocked Rainbow Trout were adequate. Long range goals for Rainbow Trout in this lake are to maintain a population supporting a minimum gill net catch of 4.0 fish/net, with an average size of 0.5 pounds/fish. If those goals were met, the lake would support high numbers of average-sized trout. Fair numbers of Rainbow Trout appeared to have been present in the spring of 2016, and fish up to 18 inches in length were taken. The 2016 Rainbow Trout gill net catch, while below the goal from the 2014 plan, still fell within the normal range (0.5-4.0 fish/set) for spring surveys of stream trout lakes in this area. The presence of fish as old as five years indicated long-term survival had been good. It appeared that Rainbow Trout growth had been somewhat slower than average. Fish reached a mean length of 10.7 inches by the end of their second year, compared to an area average of 11.6 inches. Slow growth was almost certainly related to the high numbers of White Sucker present in this lake. The White Sucker catch in 2016 was the highest recorded in this lake, and was far above the normal range (2.8-14.8 fish/set) seen in spring surveys of stream trout lakes in this area. White Sucker compete with trout for invertebrate forage, and the high numbers observed in the last two surveys of this lake (2012 and 2016) could easily account for the slow Rainbow Trout growth observed in those surveys. Talus Lake was last rehabilitated in 1958, and another rehabilitation may have to be considered if performance of Rainbow Trout deteriorates further. However, before such a project is proposed, an effort must be made to update information on late-summer temperature-oxygen conditions to determine whether they are also limiting Rainbow Trout in this lake. No complete late-summer temperature-oxygen profile has ever been obtained in Talus Lake. Attempts to do so in 2012 and 2016 were canceled due to a lack of staff and funding.

Talus Lake is a designated stream trout lake, and has been managed exclusively for rainbow trout since 1959. The long range goal from the 2001 lake management plan was to maintain a minimum rainbow trout catch of 4.0 fish/gill net set, and a minimum average size of 0.5 lb/fish. This was the third of three assessments scheduled in the 2001 plan to monitor the attainment of that goal, and to evaluate current stocking strategies. All three assessments were completed as planned, and an additional assessment was done in 2009 to follow-up on an unusually low catch observed in the 2008 assessment. The management plan for this lake will be reviewed and revised in March 2014. Rainbow trout abundance and size were about average for a stream trout lake in this area in 2012. The gill net catch did not meet the long range goal for the lake; however, it showed considerable improvement over low catches seen in 2008 and 2009. The catch fell within the normal range (0.50-4.00 fish/set) for spring gill net catches in stream trout lakes in this area. The mean weight for rainbow trout taken in 2012 was also in the normal range for stream trout lakes in this area (0.63-2.00 lb/fish), and was similar to past weights seen in this lake. Three stocked year classes contributed to the 2012 catch, with most of the fish taken coming from a 2010 stocking of 1,452 kamloop-strain fingerlings. Growth had been somewhat slower than average. Two-year-old fish reached a mean length of 10.8 inches at the end of their second year, compared to an area average of 11.4 inches. Slow growth may have been due in part to competition for invertebrate forage from white sucker. The white sucker gill net catch was the highest seen to date in this lake, and was at the upper end of the normal range (2.83-14.33 fish/set) for catches in spring assessments of stream trout lakes in this area. White sucker compete with stream trout for invertebrate forage, and it can be difficult to maintain high quality stream trout populations in lakes with high numbers of white sucker. No other fish species were sampled in 2012, although the survey crew did observe some unidentified minnows along the shoreline.

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

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

Talus has a maximum depth of 22 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Talus is from 2023.

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