Deer

Deer Lake is located 0.5 miles West of Nevis, in central Hubbard County. Deer has a surface area of 181 acres and a maximum depth of 9 feet. There are two ways to access Deer Lake. The first is a city owned earthen access on the southeast shore of the lake, with limited parking area. The second way to access the lake is through a channel that connects Deer Lake to Shallow Lake, but this requires high water to navigate. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. Deer Lake is in lake class 42. Class 42 lakes generally are shallow with a very high littoral area (depths less than 15 feet), irregularly shaped, and have hard and turbid water. Moran Lake is the only other class 42 lake in the Park Rapids area. Only one Largemouth Bass and two Northern Pike were sampled in the summer of 2015. They both have been sampled in very limited numbers in the past, because preferred sampling gear has not been used. Bluegills were sampled in higher numbers than recent years, and in comparable numbers to similar lakes. Bluegills of all sizes were sampled from 3 to 8.2 inches, with most fish 6.5 to 8 inches in length. Black Crappies were sampled in comparable numbers to most past surveys but lower than similar lakes. The average size was 8 inches, with some fish larger than 10 inches. Currently no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Deer Lake. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access.

Deer Lake is a 155 acre shallow lake (9 feet maximum), and has a channel that connects it to Shallow and Belle Taine Lakes when the water level is high enough. No gillnets were set during 1993 due to time constraints and shallow water. Only one walleye was sampled which was 20.6 inches and 2.3 pounds. Four northern pike were sampled ranging in length from 16.9 to 23.3 inches that averaged 1.9 pounds. Largemouth bass were also sampled and ranged in length from 6.1 to 14.3 inches and had a mean weight of 0.7 pounds. The bluegill trapnet catch of 11.8 per set was nearly the same as the 12.0 per set during 1988. The bluegill size structure is small with the largest sample at 7.7 inches. Growth rates are slow. The yellow perch were not well sampled by trapnets. The small sample taken (6) indicate a small population with only 1 yellow perch sampled more than 8.0 inches.

Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass and panfish numbers appear at about average levels for this area. There is small population of Walleye present. Bullheads appear at above average numbers for this area. Yellow Perch and Black Crappie populations appear a little below average.

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

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

Deer has a maximum depth of 9 feet and a mean depth of 5 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Deer is from 2015. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

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