Big Slough

Big Slough Lake is a moderately fertile 71 acre lake located southeast of the town of Sturgeon Lake in northern Pine County. Its shape is characterized by a narrow central area that connects two small basins. The lake is dominated by water depths less than 14 feet with an abundance of submerged vegetation throughout the lake. Recreational users of Big Slough Lake may find navigation through the central lake narrows somewhat challenging during the summer months due to shallow water depths and dense aquatic plants. The surrounding shoreline is minimally developed with only ten existing homes while the remaining shoreline is made up of mixed hardwood forest, marshland, and bog land. Past management has consisted primarily of an initial survey in July of 1967 followed by a resurvey in July of 1984 and a fish house count in 1987. The current management plan lists northern pike as the primary management species with largemouth bass, bluegill sunfish, and black crappie as the secondary management species. This plan also calls for a resurvey as per a ten year schedule. Based on this schedule, a resurvey should have occurred in 1994. However, due to time constraints and low priority status, the evaluation was postponed until adequate time became available. Big Slough Lake is considered a low priority lake because of its small size, lack of public access, and self sustaining gamefish population. The Hinckley Area Fisheries Office determined that a fish population assessment utilizing gill and trap nets followed by shoreline seining would be adequate sampling for the upcoming evaluation. Revision of the current management plan to a fifteen or twenty year assessment schedule may be a reasonable goal for the future.During the open water season of 2000, a fish population assessment was conducted to evaluate the current status of the fish community. Some physical and chemical factors concerning habitat, and water quality parameters were also measured. Fish sampling gear consisted of gill nets, trap nets, and shoreline seining. Northern pike numbers were found within a normal range for this lake type while the average size, at 4.4 pounds, was well above normal. Measured northern extended from 16.9 to 34.3 inches. Largemouth bass were not sampled by gill or trap nets, but young-of-the-year largemouth were captured during shoreline seining which indicates that mature adults are present. Future management goals should include spring night electrofishing as part of the next assessment since this method has been proven to be more effective at sampling the largemouth population. Bluegill sunfish abundance and average size were found at normal levels while black crappie numbers were above normal with their size being within a normal range for this type of lake. Measured bluegill ranged from 2.8 to 8.7 inches with a good number of sunfish between 7.0 and 8.0 inches. Crappie lengths were distributed fairly evenly from 4.1 to 9.3 inches. Good natural reproductive success was found for sunfish while largemouth bass and yellow perch showed some success. Big Slough Lakes fish community was also made up of black, brown, and yellow bullhead, pumpkinseed sunfish, and white sucker. All of the above species were found at normal levels except brown bullhead which were captured at a below normal level.Historically, anglers seeking panfish or a nice sized northern pike found success at Big Slough Lake. There has been some concern expressed from local anglers over the past few years regarding the decreasing quality of northern pike size, but according to the 2000 assessment anglers are still likely to hook into a lunker northern pike. Fishing enthusiasts are just as likely to encounter good numbers of sunfish or crappie as they were previously. Since Big Slough Lake does not have a public access, acquiring permission from private land owners is essential. Selective harvest of smaller fish for eating and release of some of the larger ones is encouraged. Releasing the larger fish will help maintain the current quality of the fish population and provide future angling opportunities for others who would like to experience catching a quality sized fish. Since land uses within a watershed surrounding a lake influence a lakes water quality, additional nutrient input may decrease this lakes water quality and ultimately its overall health. Shoreline property owners and surrounding land users within the watershed can maintain or improve water quality by protecting the existing abundance of natural shoreline, developing a shoreline buffer zone of native plant species, updating outdated or failing septic systems, using phosphorus free fertilizer (if needed) on surrounding lawns, gardens, or crop land, utilizing crop farming practices that reduce run-off, limiting aquatic plant removal or disturbance, and limiting construction of impervious surfaces near the shoreline.

When compared to their respective local medians, the present fish population status is as follows. The northern pike was about average at 3.50 per set with a combined average weight of 3.04 lbs. The yellow perch was absent in the gillnet and just present in the trapnet at 1.00 per set. The bluegill and pumpkinseed were both high at 30.50 and 10.00 per set respectively and were of a fair average size. The black crappie was low at 7.00 per set with a fair average size. The yellow bullhead was high at 7.00 per set while the brown bullhead was low at 2.75. Both species were of a fair to good size. The white sucker was high at 6.50 per set and the northern redhorse was just present at 1.00 in the trapnet. The largemouth bass, as is common, was present only in the shoreline seining with good numbers.

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

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Big Slough. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

Big Slough has a maximum depth of 14 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Big Slough is from 2000. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

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