Beaver Hut

Beaver Hut Lake is a 56 acre designated trout lake with a maximum depth of 12 feet. It is stocked with 3,000 Splake fingerlings annually. Beaver Hut Lake is located in a remote part of northwestern Lake County and access is difficult. Users must turn north off of the Stony Spur Trail (ATV/Snowmobile) onto an old logging access road; this intersection is located approximately 1.7 miles west of where the trail crosses Hwy 1. This logging access road splits 0.18 miles north of this intersection and users can take either fork. If users take the right fork the trail goes approximately 0.5 miles before ending at a turn around with a trout lake sign, from this turn around there is a 100 yard walking trail to the southeast side of the lake. This fork of the road is very brushy and rocky making travel difficult, but the walk into the lake is short and dry. If users take the left fork the road proceeds 0.64 miles to where there is a trout lake sign on the side of the road. From this sign it is a 150 yard walk down a hill and across a bog to the southwest shore of the lake. The left fork is much less rocky and brushy due to the recent logging, but users must walk across a wet bog to access the lake. Neither of these routes are suitable for trucks. The purpose of this survey was to evaluate Splake stocking and monitor the fish community in the lake. A single Splake was sampled during this survey. It was 10 inches long and weighed 0.3 pounds. We estimated it to be age-1 meaning it would have been stocked during fall of 2017 as a fingerling. In addition to this survey, surveys assessing the thermal habitat and dissolved oxygen availability in the lake and angler use of the lake were carried out in 2018. Based on the survey of thermal habitat and dissolved oxygen concentrations there was no optimal habitat available for trout between July 5th and August 13th. This lack of suitable habitat likely contributed to the low Splake catch. Only two angling parties were documented using the lake during summer of 2018. Due to the combination of low Splake catch, poor Splake habitat, and limited angler use Splake stocking will likely cease and other management options will be explored for Beaver Hut Lake. The catch of Yellow Perch was near average when compared to other area lakes. The fish sampled ranged in length from 4 to almost 13 inches with an average length of 11 inches. However, the Yellow Perch were quite skinny and half of the measured Yellow Perch were infested with Yellow Grub parasites. White Sucker were sampled in very large numbers during this survey and were generally skinny for their lengths. Common Shiners and Creek Chubs were also sampled in large numbers. These three species likely compete with the Splake and may have contributed to the extremely low Splake catch. Iowa Darter, Blacknose Shiner, Golden Shiner, Green Sunfish, and Northern Pearl Dace were also sampled in small numbers during this survey.

Beaver Hut Lake is a 55 acre designated trout lake managed for Splake in the Superior National Forest. The maximum depth is 12 feet and it has dark brown bog stained water. The lake is located 15 miles northwest of Isabella. From Hwy 1, go east 0.6 miles on the Tomahawk Road (USFS Rd. 377) to the parking area at the intersection of the Kelly Loop Road (USFS Rd. 386), then west down the Taconite/Stony Spur snowmobile and ATV Trail for 2 miles. At the top of a ridge after passing a small bog pond turn right on a logging road. After 1000 feet the trail splits. The better road to the left is a better winter access as it leads to a 200 yard carry across the wet bog. The smaller trail to the right is a better summer access as it remains on upland and leads to a 50 yard carry in access. Both trails are about half a mile trek north to the lake off of the snowmobile and ATV trail. Shoreline angling is available along the bog. Consult the current Minnesota Fishing Regulations for rules applicable to designated trout lakes. Splake fingerlings are stocked annually in Beaver Hut Lake. Cold water temperatures and good dissolved oxygen levels are essential for trout growth and survival. To assess these important criteria, four automatic temperature loggers were deployed at the deepest location in the lake, they were suspended at depths of 2, 4, 6, and 8 feet from May 31 to October 19, 2018. Dissolved oxygen checks were conducted throughout the summer at the same location. The results of the investigation indicate that during the summer of 2018, Beaver Hut Lake maintained limited sufficient oxygen and thermal habitat for the survival of stream trout. These parameters will continue to be carefully monitored in future investigations to check the suitability of Beaver Hut Lake for trout stocking.

Beaver Hut Lake is a 55 acre designated trout lake managed for Splake in the Superior National Forest. The maximum depth is 12 feet and it has dark brown bog stained water. The lake is located 15 miles northwest of Isabella. From Hwy 1, go east 0.6 miles on the Tomahawk Road (USFS Rd. 377) to the parking area at the intersection of the Kelly Loop Road (USFS Rd. 386), then west down the Taconite/Stony Spur snowmobile and ATV Trail for 2 miles. At the top of a ridge after passing a small bog pond turn right on a logging road. After 1000 feet the trail splits. The better road to the left is a better winter access as it leads to a 200 yard carry across the wet bog. The smaller trail to the right is a better summer access as it remains on upland and leads to a 50 yard carry in access. Both trails are about half a mile trek north to the lake off of the snowmobile and ATV trail. Shoreline angling is available along the bog. Consult the current Minnesota Fishing Regulations for rules applicable to designated trout lakes. Splake fingerlings are stocked annually in Beaver Hut Lake. Cold water temperatures and good dissolved oxygen levels are essential for trout growth and survival. To assess these important criteria, four automatic temperature loggers were deployed at the deepest location in the lake, they were suspended at depths of 2, 4, 6, and 8 feet from May 31 to October 19, 2018. Dissolved oxygen checks were conducted throughout the summer at the same location. The results of the investigation indicate that during the summer of 2018, Beaver Hut Lake maintained limited sufficient oxygen and thermal habitat for the survival of stream trout. These parameters will continue to be carefully monitored in future investigations to check the suitability of Beaver Hut Lake for trout stocking.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Yellow Perch, Splake, Largemouth Bass, Brook Trout, and Green Sunfish in Beaver Hut. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Beaver Hut has a maximum depth of 12 feet and a mean depth of 11 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

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