Star

Star Lake is a 126 acre lake located 5 miles southwest of Crosslake. The lake is part of a chain of lakes characterized as having hard water, low fertility, and very good water clarity. The maximum depth is approximately 83 feet and about 29% of the lake is less than 15 feet deep. Northern pike are the lakes primary game fish species and were sampled at a rate of 4.8 per gill net. This was the highest catch of the three previous fish surveys performed on the lake. Five year classes were found and growth of pike was good. Fish ranged from 16.8 to 31.4 inches with an average size of 22.5" and 2.7 pounds. Other popular game fish species in the lake include largemouth bass, black crappie, and bluegill. Each of these species was collected in numbers within the expected range for similar lakes. Crappie growth was average and 70% of the catch was from the 2006 year class, suggesting highly variable spawning success for crappie, which is typical for this chain of lakes. Several year classes of bluegill were captured, but growth was slow with few individuals reaching over 7". Additional sampling for nearshore fish was also conducted using shoreline seining and backpack electrofishing. A variety of minnow species were collected including brook silversides, mottled sculpin, and logperch, as well as least darters, a species of special concern in Minnesota. Combining all methods, the 2010 survey identified 22 fish species in the lake.

The 1993 netting results were fairly similar to those from 1973. Northern pike were found in low numbers but average weight was 4.6 pounds. Only one walleye was taken in testnets. It most likely moved into the lake from a downstream lake. Largemouth bass, black crappies and several sunfish species were found in "average" numbers for lakes similar to Star Lake. Of these, bluegills were most abundant. Growth of bluegills was slow. Almost one-half of the bluegills were aged to be from the 1988 year class, suggesting that reproductive success may be quite variable from year to year. Yellow bullheads were found in low numbers, as were yellow perch. Tullibees were caught in high numbers and nearly all were less than twelve inches long. Protection and preservation of existing stands of emergent vegetation, especially bulrush, is important in maintaining adequate quantities of spawning habitat for several species of fish including bluegills, crappies, bass, perch and tullibees. All of these species use the firm bottoms generally found in bulrush beds for spawning.

There appears to be little change from the 1955 lake survey.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Northern Pike, Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, and Green Sunfish in Star. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Star. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

Star has a maximum depth of 83 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Star is from 2010. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

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