Kelsey

Kelsey Lake is in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on a no-motor route. The only riparian development is one campsite and a portage trail to Lac La Croix.Kelsey Lake is in Ecological Lake Class 10, which consists of 76 lakes in northeast Minnesota that are small and have very soft (unmineralized) water. According to Carlson's Trophic State Index, Kelsey Lake ranks as mesotrophic with a Secchi water clarity of 2.2 m, and as eutrophic with a chlorophyll-a concentration of 11.3 ppb. The total phosphorus reading was at or below the laboratory detection limit of 20 ppb, which ranks it somewhere between mesotrophic and oligotrophic. The water color was green, indicating algal growth.Kelsey Lake was slightly thermally stratified on 09/11/2002 with a surface temperature of 72 F and a bottom temperature of 65 F. Adequate oxygen for fish (more than 2 ppm) was retained to a depth of 15 ft, where the temperature was 68 F.Kelsey Lake has no inlets. The outlet to Lac La Croix flows through a marsh, has several beaver dams along its course, and has a steep gradient where it joins Lac La Croix. Lake bottom substrates along the shoreline are mostly boulder, rubble, gravel, and silt. Aside from planktonic algae, aquatic plants are sparse and grow to a depth of 10 ft.Fish sampling in this initial survey consisted of five gillnet sets. Trapnets and shoreline seines were not used due to the difficult portage access to this lake.The total catch of fish (all species combined) in this lake of 25.4 fish/net (34.8 lb/net) was in the fourth quartile for this lake class. Lake Class 10 is one of the least productive lake classes in northeast Minnesota, in terms of gillnet catches of fish. Fish populations in Kelsey Lake were dominated by northern pike and white sucker. Low numbers of pumpkinseed sunfish and yellow perch were also present.Northern pike numbers (21.0/gillnet) were in the fourth quartile for this lake class. Pike sizes averaged 18.2" (1.2 lb), which was in the first quartile for this lake class. The largest pike was 26.8". Most pike were ages 2-4. Pike growth was slower than normal (in the first quartile) by area standards. Pike stomachs contained young-of-year yellow perch (48%), unidentified fish remains (24%), crayfish (16%), and young-of-year northern pike, young-of-year sucker, pumpkinseed sunfish, and blacknose shiner (3% each). About 20 percent of the pike were infected with neascus (black spot). Neascus is a common parasite that is native to the area. It cannot infect humans, is often removed by filleting, and is killed at temperatures used to cook fish.White sucker numbers in 2002 (3.6/gillnet) were in the third quartile for this lake class. Sucker sizes averaged 19.1" (2.7 lb), which was in the fourth quartile for this lake class.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Northern Pike and Yellow Perch in Kelsey. 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 Kelsey. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

Kelsey has a maximum depth of 22 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Kelsey is from 2002. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

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