Micmac

Micmac Lake is a 132-acre lake located entirely within Tettegouche State Park. The lake is managed as a Northern Pike fishery with the population sustained by natural reproduction. Anglers can access the lake by hiking 1.5-miles along a service road from a parking lot that requires a state park vehicle permit located on Lake County Road 31 (Lax Lake Road). Visitors can also reach the lake using the network of trails in the park, but this route is much longer. The lake experienced a partial winter kill in 2019, although subsequent test netting revealed that no fish species were lost and good angling opportunities remain. The 2024 Northern Pike catch was above the normal range for similar lakes in the area and within the range from historic surveys of Micmac Lake. The average length of pike was over 23 inches with 41% of the catch longer than 24 inches; both of these values are indicative of a quality pike population in this area. Pike ranged in age from three to seven years old with no ages missing in this range indicating there is consistent successful natural reproduction. Micmac Lake offers anglers good opportunities to catch eater-sized pike with the chance to occasionally encounter something bigger. Yellow Perch, White Suckers, and Golden Shiners make up the forage base to support the pike population. The Yellow Perch gill net catch was within the normal range but was lower than most past catches on Micmac Lake. Average length was seven inches with the longest fish measuring ten inches. Anglers may occasionally stumble into a keeper sized perch, but the opportunities for good perch fishing in Micmac Lake are limited.

Micmac Lake has an area of 137 acres, with a maximum depth of 20 feet and contains clear water with a green tint. The lake is located five miles south of Finland in Tettegouche State Park. There are two access trails to the lake, one is a 1.5 mile non-motorized road from Lake County Rd #402 (Lax Lake Road) to the camp on Micmac Lake. The other is from the State Park trailhead off of a park road; then approximately 3 miles on hiking trail (by Nipisiquit Lake) to the north end of Micmac Lake. Camper cabins and canoes are available for rental at the Tettegouche Camp from the State Park. Micmac Lake is known as a good Northern Pike lake with a very nice average size, Yellow Perch on the other hand are rarely targeted because there are few fish large enough to be worth keeping. As an added bonus, as per Minnesota statute, a fishing license is not required when fishing a lake that is entirely within State Park boundaries and it is not a designated stream trout lake. The Northern Pike gill net catch rate of 20.7/net in 2016 was well above average for similar lakes in the Finland Area. The average length was 23.6 inches and average weight was 3.4 pounds. The largest pike sampled was 31.3 inches long and weighed 7.3 pounds. Six year classes were sampled with age-4 and age-5 making up 72% of the catch. The Yellow Perch gill net catch rate of 20.0/net was well above average for similar lakes in the Finland Area. The average length was 6.6 inches and average weight was 0.13 pounds. The largest Yellow Perch sampled was 8.9 inches long and weighed 0.29 pounds. Five year classes were sampled with age-3 fish being the most abundant and making up 36.4% of the catch. White Sucker gill net catch rate was 6.3/net, about average for similar lakes in the Finland Area. Average weight of 1.4 pounds was below the area norm. Golden Shiner, Fathead Minnow, and Iowa Darter were also sampled in quarter inch mesh trap nets. Although rare, some neascus (black spot) parasites are present in the fish in the lake. These parasites produce small black pigmentation that resemble black pepper sprinkled on the skin and flesh of infected fish. Some yellow grub are also present in the Yellow Perch and look like small yellow BBs in the meat. However, although a bit unsightly, the meat is safe to eat if it is well cooked.

The northern pike population in Micmac Lake was above average for the lake class. The average length was 24.5 inches; the largest northern pike in the sample was 31.4 inches. The present northern pike population should provide excellent fishing opportunities for walk-in anglers and cabin guests. Yellow perch are present in good numbers with fish over 8 inches present. Many of the yellow perch sampled in 2008 had yellow grub, or neascus (black spot), or both parasites. Micmac Lake is located within Tettegouche State Park. Access from the trailhead off of the main Park entrance at State Highway 61or the service road off of Lake County Road 402 (Lax Lake Road). Both routes require considerable hikes of more than a mile over steep terrain. Check at the Tettegouche State Park Headquarters on State Highway 61 for information and maps regarding the Micmac Lake area and cabins.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Northern Pike and Yellow Perch in Micmac. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Micmac has a maximum depth of 20 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Micmac is from 2024.

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