Beatrice

Beatrice Lake is a small lake located in the Pike River watershed in northeast Itasca County. Beatrice Lake has a total surface area of 173 acres. The lake is best suited for Northern Pike, Black Crappie, and Bluegill. Other area lakes in this class include Little Bear, Big Ole and Black Island Lakes. Beatrice Lake has a concrete ramp public access located at the state campground on the north end of the lake. The lake's management plan names Northern Pike as the main species to manage, with Black Crappie and Bluegill as the secondary species. The goals are to maintain approximately three Northern Pike per gill net, two Black Crappie per trap net, and five Bluegill per trap net. In July 2025, fisheries staff ran a standard survey using gill nets and trap nets to monitor the fishery and to provide up-to-date information for anglers. Northern Pike in Beatrice are present in low numbers and medium to small. In 2025 gills caught 2 pike per net, which is lower than what's typical for smaller lakes, but normal for Beatrice. The pike that were sampled ranged from about 15 to 34 inches long, and most were younger fish, with two-year-old being the most common. On average, pike were about 19 inches long by age three. Even though numbers are low, Beatrice Lake still offers decent opportunities for Northern Pike fishing. Black Crappie numbers is Beatrice Lake have historically been low but often variable, with the 2025 survey being no exception. Survey nets captured less than 1 per net with crappie ranging in length from 4 to 12.5 inches and averaging just over 10 inches. Most of the fish were around four years old, and at that age they averaged about 9.5 inches long. The oldest fish caught was six years old. There are still good opportunities to catch a nice crappie in Beatrice Lake, but anglers should expect to work a bit harder to find them. Bluegill numbers in Beatrice Lake have usually been low, and the 2025 survey showed the same pattern. Only 16 Bluegill were caught, or about two fish per trap net, which is well below what's typical for similar lakes. The Bluegill that were caught ranged from about 3.5 to 9 inches long and averaged a little over 6 inches. Overall, the Bluegill population is made up of mostly small to medium fish, with very few larger than 8 inches, which has been the pattern in the past surveys as well. Lakes like Beatrice usually don't support strong Walleye populations, and Beatrice Lake is no exception. In the past, Walleye catches here have almost always been low, which is why stocking was stopped in 1991. In the 2025 survey, only four Walleye were caught in gill nets, less than one fish per net. The Walleye that were caught were good-sized, ranging from about 18 to 25 inches and averaging around 21 inches. Three more Walleye were also caught in trap nets and were similar in size. Two of the fish were aged and were 7 and 16 years old, which suggests that while Walleye are rare in Beatrice Lake, some natural reproduction does occur. Yellow Perch are an important food source for other fish in Beatrice Lake. Their numbers have generally been low but within the expected range for lakes of this type. In the 2025 survey, perch were at their lowest level on record, with only two fish caught (0.33 per gill net).

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Beatrice Lake, was conducted on July 14, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 10 sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample seven stations and a 15-foot seine was used to sample three stations. Nearshore sampling captured nine species of fish including one species that is intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Mimic Shiner) and one that is tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Green Sunfish). The nearshore data was combined with gill net and trap net data from a July 2025 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Black Bullhead and Fathead Minnow). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Results from this survey provide evidence that the fish community in Beatrice Lake healthy as indicated by an FIBI score above the general use impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. The survey results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Little Fork River watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. You can help protect the fish community in Beatrice Lake by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.

Beatrice Lake is a 123-acre lake located four miles northwest of Side Lake, MN. The lake has a maximum depth of 29 ft and four miles of shoreline with many points and bays. A public access with limited parking and state campground are located in the northwest bay. Beatrice Lake was clear with Secchi disk reading of 9.2 ft and previous water chemistry samples indicated low productivity. Primary fish species include northern pike, walleye and panfish. The northern pike gill net catch rate was 0.8/net and was lower than the expected range for similar lakes. Catch rates in past assessments have varied from 0.3 to 9.5/net and catch rates in the last three assessments have been lower, varying from 0.3 to 3.0/net. Low catch rates generally correspond to good growth rates and size structure. Size structure was good with fish up to 30 inches and growth was faster than the statewide average with fish averaging 24 inches by age 4. Walleye gill net catch rate was 2.0/net, which was higher than the median catch rate of 1.3/net for similar lakes. Catch rates in the last three assessments varied from 1.2 to 2.3/net. Walleye varied in length from 12.3 to 19.5 inches. Growth was faster than the statewide average with fish averaging 15 inches by age three. Four year classes representing ages one to four were present. Walleye have been stocked many times in the past and did not increase the population. Natural reproduction is currently providing a better than average population with several year classes. The bluegill catch rate was 1.4/trap net and was lower than the expected range for similar lakes. Catch rates in past assessments have also been low, varying from 0 to 11.8/trap net and four of the five assessments were less than 5.0/net. Size structure was poor and only one fish was larger than 8 inches. Scales were not collected for age and growth in this assessment. Catch rates for black crappie were 1.0/gill net and 0.7/trap net. Catch rates were at the lower end of the expected range for similar lakes. Catch rates in past assessments varied from 0.2 to 3.5/trap net. Although few fish were sampled, size structure was good with fish up to 11.9 inches sampled. Growth was slower than the statewide average for ages one and two and faster than the average for ages three and four. Yellow perch gill net catch was 6.5/gill net; higher than any previous assessment, and within the expected range for similar lakes. Catch rates in past assessments have been low varying from 1.0 to 5.8/gill net. Size structure was poor and only one fish exceeded 9 inches. Yellow perch are an important prey species and while their abundance is higher than previous assessments, it is lower than other more productive lakes and affects the ability of the lake to support predator species such as northern pike and walleye. Beatrice Lake has a fairly simple fish community and the only other species sampled were white sucker and largemouth bass. Additional nearshore sampling using backpack electrofishing and seining sampled Johnny darter, bluntnose minnow, fathead minnow, golden shiner, mimic shiner and other young-of-the-year gamefish species previously sampled in gill nets and trap nets.

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

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

Beatrice has a maximum depth of 29 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Beatrice is from 2025.

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