Trout

Trout Lake is located about 15 miles north of Grand Rapids in the Chippewa National Forest. Fish production is limited due to low fertility associated with oligotrophic conditions. Early records indicate Lake Trout were a large component of the fishery and has been a primary management species since 1975. Management consisted of frequent stockings. Most stocked fish were given a specific fin clip to help differentiate between stocked age classes and natural reproduction since 1990. Stocking was discontinued after 2017 due to poor returns. The 2016 lake management plan (LMP) lists Lake Trout as a primary management species, with a deep-water gill net goal of 1.0/net. The 2022 targeted survey was conducted to evaluate the status of the Lake Trout population. Lake Trout are seldom abundant due to the nature of the cold, infertile lakes they inhabit. They often occupy deep, open water and can be difficult to sample, so low catch rates are common. Despite favorable conditions, catches in deep-water gill nets in Trout Lake have been low, ranging from 0.1 to 2.2/net since 1990. The 2022 catch of 0.2/net resembled the previous survey (0.3/net) and did not meet the LMP goal. All three captured trout had a fin clip indicating two were from the 2017 and one from 2016 stockings. Captured trout ranged from 21.8 to 24.8 inches. The lack of younger fish in the sample suggests natural recruitment has not contributed to the fishery in recent years. The limiting factors for Lake Trout are not clear but it appears recruitment has been poor over the last 20 years regardless of stocking efforts. Additionally, past sampling found preferred habitat may be limited some summers. Tullibee are considered the main prey fish in Trout Lake and were abundant in the 2022 survey. The catch of 33.5/net was a high catch compared to most surveys. Tullibee were generally small in Trout Lake, making them an ideal prey item for large predators. The 2022 sample averaged 8.2 inches, comparable to previous surveys. Competition from coolwater predators did not appear to limit Lake Trout. Deep-water gill nets may not reflect the numbers of other species, but Walleye and Northern Pike catches resembled previous surveys and have never been high. The fishery provides good opportunities for anglers to catch large or even trophy pike and Walleye. Both species appear to have high quality size structure as pike averaged 27 inches and a Walleye exceeding 29 inches was captured. Yellow Perch were the only other species sampled in deep-water gill nets.

Trout Lake is located about 15 miles north of Grand Rapids in the Chippewa National Forest and the Mississippi River watershed. There is a county-owned public access on the north side of the lake near the resort, but no designated parking area. Fish production is limited in the lake because it is deep and clear with low fertility. The 2016 lake management plan (LMP) lists Lake Trout as the primary species of management, with a goal of maintaining a Lake Trout catch in deep-water gill-nets at 1.0/set. The lake has been primarily managed for Lake Trout since 1975, with frequent stocking. In recent years Lake Trout yearlings have been stocked on an alternate year basis. All stocked fish were given a specific fin clip to differentiate between stocked age classes and natural reproduction. A targeted survey was conducted in September 2017 to evaluate the status of the Lake Trout population and determine if stocking is contributing to the population. Lake Trout are typically not abundant in any lake due to the nature of the cold, infertile lakes they inhabit. They often occupy open water and can be difficult to sample, so low catch rates are not uncommon. Catches in deep-water gill nets in Trout Lake have ranged from 0.1 to 2.2/net since 1990. The 2017 catch of 0.2/net did not meet the LMP goal. The three Lake Trout sampled were large, ranging from 24.3 to 34.1 inches. None of the trout were observed to have fin clips, suggesting that they were from natural reproduction. The lack of small fish in the sample indicates neither stocking nor natural recruitment have contributed to the fishery in recent years. Tullibee were sampled at 18.6/net, a typical catch for this lake and slightly higher than the previous survey. Tullibee are generally small in Trout Lake; the 2017 sample ranged from 5.7 to 16.6 inches with a mean length of 8.8 inches. Tullibee are an important prey species for the large Northern Pike and Walleye that exist in Trout Lake. The deep-water gill-nets used to target Lake Trout and Tullibee likely do not reflect the numbers of other species as well. However, Walleye (0.8/net) and Northern Pike (2.1/net) catches were higher than in any previous surveys. Both species appear to have low density populations with high quality size structure. Walleye averaged 21.6 inches and Northern Pike averaged 25.4 inches. Other species sampled included Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Rock Bass, White Sucker and Yellow Perch.

Trout Lake is a class 22 lake located about 15 miles north of Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The lake has a public access on the north side near the resort but no designated parking area. The fish community is characterized by lower numbers because the lake is deep, clear, and sterile. The 2010 lake management plan (LMP) indicates Lake Trout as the primary species of management with Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike as secondary species. The LMP goals include maintaining the Lake Trout catch at 1.3/gill net. A standard survey using 15 deep gill nets and 15 trap nets was conducted in August of 2015 to assess the fish community. Deep-water gill nets were used to target Lake Trout and Tullibee but do not reflect other species numbers as well. Lake Trout can be difficult to sample so lower catches are not uncommon. The catches have ranged from 0.1 to 2.2 fish/gill net since 1990. The catch of 0.3 fish/gill net fell short of the LMP goal in 2015. The five Lake Trout sampled were large, ranging from 26.5 to 33.4 inches and averaged 31.1 inches. Although age and growth information was not collected in 2015, it appears there is limited to poor natural reproduction. It also appears the various stocking strategies have not produced much of a fishery in recent years. Black Crappie catches have been low in all assessments, ranging from 0.1 to 1.4 fish/trap net. The trap-net catch was 0.6 fish/net in 2015. The sampled fish ranged from 4.3 to 10.2 inches and averaged inches. Age and growth information was not collected in 2015. Largemouth Bass have never been sampled with spring night electrofishing because the population does not warrant the additional effort. The catch has ranged from 0.5 to 2.0 fish/trap net since 1990 and was 0.8 fish/trap net in 2015. The sampled fish ranged from 5.9 to 16.3 inches and averaged 11.2 inches. Age and growth information was not collected in 2015. Northern Pike habitat in Trout Lake is ideal to produce a low-density, high quality fishery. There is limited spawning habitat and a good cool water prey base, both attributes that result in good growth. The gill-net catch rates have ranged from 0.5 to 1.1 fish/net since 1990. The catch of 1.1 fish/net in 2015 was the highest on record. The sampled fish ranged from 24.3 to 32.5 inches and averaged 28.1 inches. Age and growth information was not collected in 2015. Tullibee catch rates can be highly variable due to their schooling and open water nature. The Tullibee catch was a record high in 1990 (41.9/gill net) but have since been fairly consistent, ranging from 9.8 to 17.7 fish/gill net. The catch was 11.3 fish/gill net in 2015, down from 17.7 fish/net in 2009. The sampled fish ranged from 6.8 to 11.9 inches and averaged 9.3 inches. Although age and growth information was not attempted, there were at least two age classes based on the length distribution. The Bluegill catch was above the lake class median at 22.8 fish/trap net. The sampled fish ranged from 3.4 to 8.3 inches and had mean of 5.6 inches. Other species observed during the survey included Brown Bullhead, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Sucker, Yellow Bullhead, and Yellow Perch. In order to maintain or improve fish and wildlife populations, water quality and habitat must be protected. People often associate water quality problems with large-scale agricultural, forestry, urban development or industrial practices in the watershed. In reality, the impact of land use decisions on one lake lot may be relatively small, yet the cumulative impact of those decisions on many lake lots can result in a significant decline in water quality and habitat. For example, removing shoreline and aquatic vegetation, fertilizing lawns, mowing to the water's edge, installing beach sand blankets, failing septic systems and uncontrolled run-off, all contribute excess nutrients and sediment which degrade water quality and habitat. Understanding these cumulative impacts and taking steps to avoid or minimize them will help to insure our quality fisheries can be enjoyed by future generations.

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

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

Trout has a maximum depth of 157 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Trout is from 2022.

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