Thrush

Thrush Lake is a designated stream trout lake, managed exclusively for brook trout since 1980. It is one of the Grand Marais area's "trophy trout" lakes, and as such is closed to winter fishing, with only catch and release fishing allowed during the open water season. The use of bait is prohibited, and anglers are limited to the use of artficial lures and flies only, with a single hook. The long range goal for brook trout established in the current (2018) lake management plan (LMP) was to maintain a population with two catchable-sized (over 10 inch) year classes, with 10% or more of fish over 12 inches exceeding 16 inches in length. This was the first of three targeted surveys using short-term gill net sets scheduled in the 2018 LMP to determine whether goals for this lake could be met after the stocking frequency was reduced to every odd-numbered year (started in 2021). Thrush Lake supported a high-quality brook trout population in 2021. In this targeted survey, 18 brook trout were captured in 12 short-term gill net sets made over a single day of sampling. All but one were released alive. Fish taken in 2021 ranged in length from 12.4 to 18.7 inches. Results indicated that management goals for the lake had been met in 2021. Although no fish were aged, it was clear from the length frequency distribution that at least two year classes had contributed to the catch, both of catchable sizes. Twenty-eight percent of the 12-inch or larger fish taken exceeded 16 inches in length. Only fish from the 2019, 2018, and 2015 fingerling stockings (fish 2, 3, or 6 years of age) were likely to have been present during this survey. All three may have contributed to the catch.

Thrush Lake is a designated stream trout lake, mnaged exclusively for brook trout since 1980. It is one of the Grand Marais area's "trophy trout" lakes, and as such is closed to winter fishing, with only catch and release fishing allowed during the open water season. The use of bait is prohibited, and anglers are limited to the use of artficial lures and flies only, with a single hook. The current (2008) lake management plan established a long range goal for brook trout in this lake of a minimum fall trap net catch of 3.5 age-1 or older fish/set, with 10% or more of fish larger than 12 inches also exceeding 16 inches in length. Because of the deterioration of the access trails, transport of trap nets to this lake has not been possible since 2008; assessments have instead been done using open-water angling. In this special assessment, DNR angling crews caught (and released alive) 18 brook trout over three days. Brook trout collected ranged in length from 15.0 to 19.7 inches, with 89% of fish taken exceeding 16 inches. No scale samples were collected, but based on past assessments of this lake, fish taken in 2014 were probably three or four years old. The lake appeared to support the kind of high-quality brook trout population that the regulation was intended to produce.

Brook trout numbers appeared to have been low in Thrush Lake in September 2006, although some trophy-sized fish were present. Water quality in this lake appeared to be excellent, and forage for stocked trout relatively abundant. Restrictive harvest regulations have maintained a high quality brook trout population in this lake, but recent stocking rates may have been too low to produce the best mix of numbers and size of fish. Under current regulations Thrush Lake is closed to winter fishing, and during the open-water season only catch-and-release fishing is allowed. Use or possession of live bait is not allowed, and only artificial lures and flies with a single hook may be used.

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

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

Thrush has a maximum depth of 48 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Thrush is from 1983. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

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