Arrowhead

Arrowhead Lake is located 5 miles north of Spring Lake, MN in the Bigfork River watershed and the Chippewa National Forest. There is a public access with limited parking at the northwest end of the lake, with the remaining shoreline undeveloped. The lake management plan was last revised in 2007. Northern Pike were considered primary management species and Black Crappie were considered secondary management species. A standard survey was conducted in 2018 to assess the status of the fish community. Arrowhead Lake has typically produced moderate to high numbers of Northern Pike with poor size quality. The 2018 catch rate was near the historical average for the lake and typical for lakes with similar habitat. Size structure was relatively poor and similar to the previous survey. Northern Pike ranged from 15.5 to 28.4 inches with an average length of 20.1 inches. Ages 1 through 6 were represented with age 3 the most frequently sampled. Northern Pike averaged 22.6 inches at age 4. Poor size quality may limit the popularity of the pike fishery. The north central pike zone regulation implemented in 2018 requires anglers to release pike from 22-26 inches, while allowing for more harvest of small pike. It is hoped that this regulation will improve size quality on Arrowhead Lake. Gill-net and trap-net catches for Black Crappie were down from the previous survey, but about average for lakes with similar habitats. Size structure was poor; crappie averaged 6.7 inches from gill nets and 8.1 inches from trap nets. Age analysis suggested the population was primarily young fish, ages 1 to 3. Growth appeared relatively fast with crappie averaging 7.9 inches at age 3. Angling opportunities for Black Crappie will likely improve in the coming years as these fish grow to more acceptable sizes. The trap-net catch for Bluegill was average for the lake and within the typical range for similar lakes. Size structure has generally been poor with few fish over 8 inches sampled in any assessment. Bluegill in the 2018 sample ranged from 3.1 to 8.0 inches with an average length of 5.1 inches. Bass are not typically sampled well with standard netting, but numbers appear to be increasing in recent surveys. Boat electrofishing was not attempted due to time constraints, though test netting suggests Largemouth Bass are relatively abundant. The gill-net catch was well above the typical range for similar lakes. Sampled bass ranged from 6.3 to 15.9 inches. Yellow Perch numbers have been quite variable in past surveys, but were generally above average compared to similar lakes. The 2018 gill-net catch was the lowest ever with only one perch captured. The reasons for the steep decline are unclear. Yellow Perch are an important prey species in many lakes, and a lack of perch limits production of predators like Northern Pike and Walleye. Arrowhead Lake has a low-density Walleye population maintained by natural reproduction. The Walleye gill-net catch remained below average compared to similar lakes. Other species sampled in test nets included Brown Bullhead and Pumpkinseed Sunfish. Anglers and boaters are reminded to help slow and/or minimize the spread of invasive species by removing all aquatic plants from boats, trailers and equipment. All drain plugs must be removed and live and bait wells must be drained before leaving the access. Anglers and boaters are encouraged to power wash and thoroughly dry all equipment prior to use in another water body.

Arrowhead Lake is an 86-acre lake located 5 miles north of Spring Lake, MN. The lake has a maximum depth of 30 ft and a littoral area of 12 acres. Arrowhead Lake is in lake class 28 and has a public access on the northwest shore. The Chippewa National Forest owns the entire shoreline and there is no shoreline development. The northern pike gill net catch was 14.5/net, which was higher than the expected range for similar lakes. Catch rates in past assessments have been lower and varied from 5.8 to 9.3/gill net. High water in recent years may have increased spawning habitat and resulted in the population increase. Although most of the fish sampled were between 13 and 22 inches, two larger fish of 35 and 37 inches were sampled. Growth was similar to the statewide average with fish reaching 24 inches by age six. The high abundance of northern pike found in this survey increases competition for prey, which can reduce growth rates, and lead to reduced size structure. Anglers can help to improve the size structure of northern pike by releasing fish between 24 to 36 inches. Larger northern pike often prey on smaller northern pike, keeping their populations in check, increasing growth rates and improving size structure. The black crappie gill net catch was good with a catch rate of 6.3/net, which was higher than the expected range. Catch rates in past assessments have been much lower with catch rates varying from 0 to 1.8/net. Size structure was good with a fish up to 11 inches sampled. Growth was similar to the statewide average with fish averaging 10 inches by age five. The bluegill trap-net catch was 4.2/net and was slightly lower than the expected range. Catch rates in past assessments have been highly variable from 5.0 to 40.8/trap net. Size structure was poor with no fish larger than 8 inches sampled. Walleye gill-net catch was 1.0/net and was within the expected range for similar lakes. Gill net catch rates have historically been low despite several stocking efforts, and have varied from 0 to 2.3/net. Walleye stocking was discontinued due to poor results and natural reproduction sustains a small population. Size structure was good with fish up to 21 inches sampled. Largemouth bass were sampled with night electrofishing for a catch rate of 13.0/h. This catch rate was lower than other area lakes, which average around 30/h. Size structure was good with fish up to 18 inches sampled. Growth was similar to the statewide average. Yellow perch gill-net catch was 10.5/gill net and was within the expected range. Catch rates in past assessments have been highly variable ranging from 16.0 to 99.8/gill net. Size structure was poor with no fish larger than 9 inches sampled. Other fish sampled included, pumpkinseed sunfish, golden shiner, and bullhead species.

Arrowhead Lake appears to support only a small walleye population. This has typically been the case in this lake. In three of the four assessment conducted since 1973, the gill net catch rate has been at, or below, 1.0 walleye/gill net. During this assessment, 1 walleye was caught in the gill nets and one was caught in the trap nets. On the other hand, Arrowhead lake appears to support a good population of larger northern pike. The gill net catch rate (5.8/set) is near the median for its lake class (5.7/set). However, the average weight of these fish (4.1 pounds) is well above the median size (2.2 pounds). There is a large population of smaller perch which should provide food for the northern pike. This probably explains the good growth observed in the northern pike. The black crappie catch rate, although lower than in past years, is still within the range for this lake class. The crappies sampled in trap nets had a mean length of 7.8 inches. Largemouth bass are present and their abundance appears to be within the normal range for this lake type. However, bass are difficult to sample with the types of nets used in this assessment so any results should be viewed with caution. Bluegills were sampled at a rate (19.8/trap net) near the median (23.1/trap net) for this lake type. The sampled bluegills raged in length from 3.3 - 7.7 inches and had a mean length of 5.0 inches. Overall, Arrowhead Lake should remain a good fishing lake. Anglers can help ensure the continued quality of the fishery by releasing the medium and larger size fish.

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

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

Arrowhead has a maximum depth of 30 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Arrowhead is from 2018. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

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