McGowan

McGowan is a small 22 acre lake with a maximum depth of 24 feet. It is located in eastern Pine County and is assigned to lake class 33. It is connected to Kenney Lake, another small lake, by a broad channel. The Kenney-McGowan Wildlife Management Area surrounds the majority of the lake and an unimproved earthen access is located on the west side of the lake which can be accessed through the management area. No stocking of fish is conducted in this lake. In this August survey four trap nets were set and only one gill net was set due to the small size of the lake. The previous survey was conducted in 2003. Bluegill were the most numerous fish sampled in this survey. They were caught at a rate of 11.7 fish per trap net. This is within the interquartile range for the lake class and a substantial increase over the previous survey. Mean weight was 0.27 lbs. and fish ranged from 3.7 to 9.4 inches in length averaging 6.8 inches. Black Crappie were sampled at a rate of 2 fish per net which is above the median for the lake class. This too was a substantial increase over the previous survey catch rate. Fish ranged from 4 to 10 inches and averaged 7.9 inches in length. The gill net sampled one Northern Pike and one Yellow Perch, a species which was not detected in the previous survey. Three Largemouth Bass were caught in trap nets. The small amount of open water angling conducted to establish the presence of Largemouth Bass sampled one Northern Pike and three additional bass, one of which was a respectable 18 inches. Other species sampled were; Brown Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead, Pumpkinseed, and Hybrid Sunfish.

McGowen is a 21 acre lake with a maximum depth of 24 feet. As in both previous surveys the lakes fishery is limited. Bluegill should provide some angling opportunity with a typical abundance and a 7 inch average. Catch rates were low for all other species when compared to similar lakes. Largemouth bass were observed during night electrofishing but none were captured.

Previous survey (1967) and present testnetting indicate McGowan Lake is marginal habitat for fish

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Hybrid Sunfish, Bluegill, and Yellow Perch in McGowan. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

McGowan has a maximum depth of 24 feet and a mean depth of 16 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in McGowan is from 2017. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

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