North Star

North Star Lake was stocked with Leech Lake strain Muskie fingerlings in 1989, 1991 and 1994 to establish a population. Natural reproduction was documented in spring surveys, fall electrofishing, and angler reports of small fish by the mid-2000s. Spring, night electrofishing to capture juvenile Muskie was conducted annually from 2006 to 2013, though after a couple years, all Muskies encountered were measured and PIT tagged to improve our understanding of the population. Additional spring, night electrofishing surveys occurred in 2015, 2016, 2021-2023, and 2025. The surveys documented natural reproduction was excellent and the population was self-sustaining. Recent surveys have assisted in estimating population size, age and growth, maximum ages, adult mortality, and revealed variable growth among fish of the same sex and between sexes. Spring, night electrofishing was conducted on May 8th and 23rd of 2025. Surface water temperatures were 55 and 61 degrees F, and water clarity was good. Calm, sunny days following periods of stable weather is preferred for sampling because cold fronts are thought to push fish out of the shallows. A total of 18 fish were sampled over the two nights and 12 of the Muskie had been marked in prior years. Sampled Muskie ranged from 9.3 to 48.7 inches. All sampled fish were the result of natural reproduction since the last introductory stocking occurred in 1994 and no PIT tagged fingerlings stocked in 2014, 2015, 2017 or 2019 were observed. For many fish species, age and growth estimates are derived from bony structures that require sacrificing the fish but due to the low-density, long-lived nature of Muskie that is not desirable. Also, because North Star has good natural reproduction, stocking tagged fish with known ages is not a viable option. As a result, age and growth information for North Star is continuously being updated. In 2025, Muskie were estimated from age 1 to 24 based on scales, anal fin rays and time since tagging. The following examples exhibit the complexity of age and growth for North Star. A 40.3-inch male tagged in 2013 was estimated to be 12 years old, yet 12 years later was only 41.2 inches; demonstrating longevity and minimal growth for this male once it achieved 40 inches. In contrast, a 29.7-inch female tagged in 2022, estimated to be 4+ years old, was resampled in 2025 at 40.7 inches. The age-7 female demonstrated good growth. Interestingly, these two fish of similar length were estimated to be 17 years apart in age. Additional tagging of known age and/or confidently aged young fish should improve understanding of the population. Anglers can also assist in expanding our knowledge of Muskie age and growth for North Star. As of 2025, approximately 50-60% of the adult Muskie in North Star had PIT tags. The standard location for tagging Muskie in Minnesota is on the left side of the fish, just in front and slightly down from the dorsal fin (the fin on top of the fish). If an angler has a PIT tag reader, please record the tag number, length of the fish, date of capture, and send this information to the Grand Rapids Area Fisheries Office so it can be included in the database. The MN DNR will respond with the catch history of the fish, like when it was tagged and how long it was when it was tagged.

The 2023 Lake Management Plan (LMP) identified Muskie as a primary management species. Muskie are difficult to sample using standard summer survey methods because they exist at such low densities. Therefore, spring surveys target Muskies when they are concentrated in the shallows, in response to warming waters and the spawn. The LMP goal for Muskie is to maintain an estimated population of 200 to 250 adults greater than or equal to 30 inches. North Star Lake was included in broader Predator Bioenergetics and Diet projects in 2022, led by the MN DNR Fisheries Research and Bemidji State University. The Grand Rapids Area office led the large-framed trap netting, and helped with electrofishing and coordination. Three adult Muskie population estimates were calculated from the data set in 2022 (199, 241 and 284). The average of the estimates translate into one adult Muskie for every 4.7 acres. In an attempt to evaluate or authenticate the 2022 population estimates, additional estimate methods were employed in 2023. A Year-to-Year estimate was calculated using spring, night electrofishing in 2023 as the recapture effort and the 2022 adults as the marked population. A total of 127 unique adults were sampled in 2022 and used as the marked population. North Star Lake became ice-free on May 6, 2023. Muskie were sampled using night electrofishing on May 11, 16, 19 and 20. Because the population estimate was calculated for the entire lake, the sampling effort and the fish captured were well distributed around the lake to reduce potential biases. A total of 66 different fish were sampled, of which 6 were juveniles. A total of 60 adults were used from the recapture effort when calculating population estimates. The sex ratio was skewed toward males (N=49) compared to females (N=11). Population estimates were calculated by combining all the sampled Muskie and by separating the sexes. The number of recaptured males was 25 of 49 Muskie sampled (51%). The number of recaptured females was 4 of 11 Muskie sampled (36%). The combining of males and females resulted in 127 marked fish in 2022, with 29 recaptures of the 60 fish sampled in 2023. The estimate was 259 adults. Calculating sex-specific estimates used 78 adult males and 36 females from 2022 as the marked populations. The sex-specific marked samples were lower than the combined sample because sex was not determined for all the fish in 2022. The male estimate was 151 while the female estimate was 88. Adding the male and female estimates resulted in 239 adults. Including anglers can sometimes provide useful data and insight into population estimate methods. A few anglers participated in recording their Muskie catches in 2023. Angler catches throughout the season were considered the recapture effort and the 2022 adults (n = 127) were used as the marked population. The anglers captured 18 Muskies of which 8 were recaptures from the 2022 marking. The estimate was 269 adults. Multiple year population estimates can sometimes reduce the potential for biases associated with fish movement, particularly related to the timing and seasonal weather patterns within one spring. Estimates from both years were derived for the spring 2022 population because that was the period of the marking. The estimates calculated in 2022 ranged from 199 to 284 and had a mean of 241 adults while the estimates using the 2023 recapture period ranged from 239 to 269 and had a mean of 255 adults. Results from the second year of estimates provides confidence the adult population was near 250 adults or approximately one adult for every 5 acres.

North Star Lake is located just south of Marcell, MN. The lake has one public access and moderate shoreline development. The 2020 lake management plan (LMP) indicates Muskellunge, Northern Pike, and Walleye as the primary species of management with Largemouth Bass as a secondary species. The LMP goals were to maintain the Walleye gill-net catch above 3.0/net, and maintain a Northern Pike gill-net catch of 3.0/net with 30 and 15% of the sample longer than 28 and 34 inches. A special protected slot length limit was implemented in 2003 that requires all Northern Pike from 24 to 36 inches to be released and only one fish over 36 inches can be in possession. The 2022 gill-net only targeted survey evaluated the Northern Pike, Walleye, Tullibee and Yellow Perch populations as part of a predator food habits/niche overlap project and a predator bioenergetics project. The 2022 data should be viewed cautiously and as only one of several metrics to evaluate the fish community. The increased water clarity, due to zebra mussels, appears to have resulted in more and deeper vegetative growth, which likely reduced the gill nets effectiveness. The following results are only from the August gill netting. Additional information collected on the Largemouth Bass, Muskellunge, Northern Pike, and Walleye populations, during extensive spring sampling, are part of other projects that are still ongoing. Northern Pike gill-net catches have ranged from a low of 1.4 fish/net in 1949 to a high of 5.2 fish/net in 1979. The catch of 1.4/net in 2022 was similar to the last four surveys but did not attain the LMP goal of 3.0/net. The sampled fish ranged from 20.3 to 36.0 inches and averaged 28.8 inches. The LMP size structure goals were achieved since 59 and 12% of the sample were longer than 28 and 34 inches. Eight age-classes were estimated ranging from age 2 to 10. Northern Pike averaged 24.9 inches after four years of growth, which was above the statewide average of 20.5. The low-density, quality size distribution of the pike population is desirable for the fish community compared to many lakes that are dominated by small fish. The Walleye gill-net catch rate of 2.3 fish/net approached the management goal of 3.0 fish/net. Gill-net catch rates have ranged from 2.3 to 5.2 since Walleye stocking began in the 1970s. The sampled fish ranged from 12.5 to 29.1 inches and averaged 19.2 inches. The majority of the fish sampled exceeded 15 inches, which should be desirable to anglers. Walleye age and growth analysis found eight year-classes were present with fish from 3 to 17 years old. The last five surveys evaluated a period of annual Walleye stocking that began in 2000. Growth has generally been good with the exception of periods of distinctly cooler growing seasons. In 2022, Walleye averaged 16.1 inches after four years of growth, which is faster than the statewide average of 15.1 inches. The prey base, which includes Yellow Perch and Tullibee, appears to be sufficient for good growth but is likely underrepresented in the gill net samples. Yellow Perch gill-net catch rates have fluctuated from a low of 2.0 fish/net in 1996 to a high of 30.9 fish/net in 1984. In general, the population has been sampled in low numbers except for the 1984 and 2009 surveys. In 2022, the catch of 4.0 fish/gill net was low compared to other lakes with similar types of habitat. The sampled fish ranged from 4.9 to 9.3 inches and averaged 6.6 inches. Due to the poor size structure, perch are probably more important as a prey species for predators than a species anglers would target. As a result, understanding the perch population is particularly important for making Walleye management decisions. Three additional projects during the spring of 2022 provided more opportunities to sample the fish community than our normal evaluations. During these sampling efforts, anecdotal observations from the DNR staff and anglers alike, would suggest our gill nets are not sampling perch effectively. Changing water clarity and an expansion of vegetation may compound this issue further. Continued monitoring of the perch population and using additional metrics like predator condition (how healthy) or growth will be important for understanding the prey fish community. Tullibee can be difficult to sample because they frequently live over deep water, an area the standard summer nets were not designed to sample. However, they are important to fish communities as a prey source for Muskellunge, Northern Pike and Walleye. Tullibee gill-net catch rates have been as low as 0.3 fish/net and as high as 14.5 fish/net with no apparent trend. The 2022 catch of 4.0/net was above average for the lake class. The fish ranged from 6.7 to 12.8 inches and averaged 8.8 inches. Although age information was not collected, it appears there were at least two year-classes based on the length distribution. Other species observed during the survey included Black Crappie, Bluegill, Golden Shiner, Largemouth Bass, Northern Sunfish, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Rock Bass, and Smallmouth Bass. North Star Lake is infested with invasive Zebra Mussels. Anglers and boaters are reminded to clean and dry all equipment used on the lake before use on another waterbody.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Muskellunge, Rock Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye, and Largemouth Bass in North Star. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

North Star has a maximum depth of 90 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

Yes — North Star has confirmed zebra mussel. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.