Mayhew

Mayhew Lake is a 220-acre lake located 35 miles north of Grand Marais. It lies in the headwaters of the Rainy River, draining to that system via Loon, Crab, and Gunflint Lakes into the Granite River. There is a public carry-in access on the southeast corner of the lake. Mayhew Lake has been managed primarily for lake trout since the 1940s. It was reclaimed for trout management in 1969. Due to adequate natural reproduction and low survival of stocked fish lake trout stocking was discontinued after 2018. To provide for a more attractive summer fishery, brown trout stocking was replaced with rainbow trout stocking in 2019. The 2023 standard survey was the second of three conducted to evaluate the lake trout and rainbow trout populations in Mayhew Lake. Lake trout abundance in gill nets (deep and shallow sets combined) was the lowest since 1980 but did meet the current management goal. Catch rates are similar to other Minnesota class 3 lakes. Lake trout ranged from 8 to 26 inches with an average length of 16 inches. Lake trout were found to be from 6 different year classes and were all naturally reproduced. Growth of lake trout appear to be good, reaching larger sizes slightly faster than area averages. Rainbow trout catch rates were lower than the previous two surveys and did not meet the management goal. Only two fish were caught (12 and 13 inches) and were from the stocking event earlier in the season. Low sample sizes of rainbow trout caught in summer gill netting surveys since stocking began suggests that other methods may be needed to properly evaluate stocking success. Northern pike numbers were very low in 2023 and were similar to the previous survey. Northern pike are an undesirable species in this lake so low catch rates are good for the management of rainbow trout. Bluegill and green sunfish abundance was low in the 2023 survey and had been declining since the late 1990s. Fish captured were smaller than 4 inches and currently do not offer any angling opportunities. Yellow perch and white sucker are considered undesirable species in lakes managed for stream trout and were found in relatively low abundances. Both species compete with trout for invertebrate and other small forage; however, in several area lakes stocked rainbow trout yearlings have performed fairly well despite their presence. Perch may provide a buffer against predation from northern pike on trout in Mayhew Lake.

Mayhew Lies lies in the headwaters of the Rainy River, draining to that system via Loon, Crab, and Gunflint Lakes to the Granite River. Mayhew Lake has been managed primarily for lake trout since the 1940s. It was reclaimed for trout management in 1969. Due to evidence for adequate natural reproduction, coupled with low survival of stocked fish, lake trout stocking was discontinued after 2018. To provide for a more attractive summer fishery, brown trout stocking was also discontinued after 2018, to be replaced by rainbow trout stocking that began in 2019. This was the first of three standard surveys scheduled in the current (2017) lake management plan to determine whether lake trout natural reproduction alone would be enough to sustain a fishery, and whether goals for the rainbow trout population could be met by the stocking proposed in that plan (3,200 yearlings every odd-numbered year). Current goals for lake trout in this lake are to maintain a minimum gill net catch (in deep and shallow sets combined) of 1.25 fish/set, with some fish over 20 inches in length present. The goal for rainbow trout is to maintain a minimum gill net catch of 1.0 fish/set (or a minimum trap net catch of 0.25 fish/set). Good numbers of lake trout were present in 2019, but most were smaller fish from strong natural year classes produced in 2015 and 2016. The combined (deep and shallow) lake trout gill net catch in 2019 (3.63 fish/set) was similar to catches seen in this lake since 1994, and was near the top of the normal range for a lake of this type. Catch and size goals for the species were met in 2019. Of the 29 lake trout sampled in 2019, only three bore finclips identifying them as stocked fish. All three were survivors of the 2018 yearling stocking. In all, six year classes contributed to the 2019 catch, and it appeared that relatively strong natural year classes had been produced in 2015 and 2016. Growth of young lake trout appeared to have been slow; by the end of their fourth year fish reached a mean length of 10.3 inches, compared to an area average of 12.3 inches. Results of this and previous surveys indicated stocking was not needed to maintain lake trout in this lake. Fair numbers of rainbow trout seemed to have been present in 2019. All were about 12 inches in length, and all had been stocked as yearlings in the spring of 2019. Survival and growth of rainbow trout stocked in the spring appeared to have been adequate. The combined gill net catch (1.0 fish/set) met the long range goal for the species in this lake, despite the presence of just one stocked year class. Rainbow trout collected in July had a mean weight of 0.81 lb/fish. They had been stocked in May at a mean weight of 0.33 lb/fish, so had more than doubled their weight in about two months. Despite regular stocking through 2018, no brown trout were collected in 2019. Anglers have occasionally taken brown tout from this lake, and low catches of the species in surveys have been common. We expect some will remain available to anglers through at least 2023. Northern pike numbers appeared to have been low in 2019. None were taken in gill net sets, and just three were sampled in trap nets. Northern pike are an undesirable species in this lake, and hopefully their numbers will remain low. Bluegill were abundant but small in Mayhew Lake in 2019. Bluegill were first sampled in this lake in 1990, but their numbers appear to have surged dramatically by 2019. The catch in 0.75-in-mesh trap nets increased from zero in 2004 to 0.50 fish/set in 2009 to 4.75 fish/set in 2019. In addition, large numbers of small bluegill were collected in 0.125-in-mesh "mini-fyke" trap nets used in this survey. Based on length frequency distributions in the two sampling gears and aging of fish from 0.75-in-mesh trap nets, it appeared that at least three year classes had recently been produced, in 2018, 2017, and 2016. Those young fish dominated the 2019 catch, which included only a few fish over six inches in length. Growth of young bluegill appeared to have been somewhat slower than average; fish reached a mean length of 4.4 inches at the end of their third year, compared to an area mean of 4.8 inches. Despite their slow growth, if those fish survive Mayhew Lake could support some fairly good bluegill fishing by 2020. Yellow perch and white sucker are considered undesirable species in lakes managed for stream trout, but neither species seemed to have been present in excessively high numbers in 2019. Combined (deep and shallow) gill net catches for both species were close to average values for lakes of this type. Both species compete with trout for invertebrate and other small forage; however, in several area lakes stocked rainbow trout yearlings have performed fairly well despite their presence. Perch may provide a buffer against predation by northern pike on trout in Mayhew Lake.

Management goals for lake trout in Mayhew Lake were met in the 2009 assessment. The gill net catch was at the upper end of the normal range for a lake of this type. Although half the catch consisted of age-1 fish from a 2009 yearling stocking, several fish larger than 20 inches were also present. There had been some reproduction, with most of the larger fish produced naturally. Growth among younger lake trout had been a little slower than average for this area. Brown trout abundance was low, but fish that were present were large. Brown trout from the 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2008 yearling stockings should have been present in 2009; however, only fish from the 2005 stocking were taken in this assessment. Growth of those five-year-old fish was apparently fast. Northern pike were found in this lake for the first time since it was reclaimed in 1969. Northern pike were found in Little Mayhew Lake in 1997, and it was only a matter of time before they appeared in Mayhew Lake. Mayhew Lake provides little spawning habitat for northern pike, and the species may not thrive. Bluegill were found in this lake for the first time ever in 2009. Bluegill have been present in Loon Lake for decades, but it seems unlikely that they could have moved upstream from there to Mayhew Lake, when smallmouth bass (stronger swimmers) have not. Mayhew Lake is a deep, coldwater lake and bluegill numbers and size will likely remain low. Yellow perch and white sucker gill net catches were not unusually high for this lake historically. Yellow perch were generally too small to have provided much angling opportunity, but they probably did provide forage for lake trout to the extent that their habitats overlapped. At least one of the lake trout taken had been feeding on yellow perch.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Brown Trout, Lake Trout, Green Sunfish, Bluegill, and Yellow Perch in Mayhew. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Mayhew has a maximum depth of 84 feet and a mean depth of 32.5 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

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