Meander

Meander Lake is a 139 acre lake located north of the Echo Trail and 20 miles northwest of Ely. There is one public access in the middle of the lake on the south shore. There is a parking lot at the top of the hill at the end of FR 679 with a paved path that goes down to the lake. A canoe or boat with portage wheels are the only realistic watercraft options. A few Forest Service managed camp sites are located in this area, each with fire grates and picnic tables. There is also a large fishing pier that overlooks the lake. Meander Lake has a maximum depth of 25 feet. The water color at the time of the survey was slightly green. Meander Lake was stratified on August 4, 2014 with a surface temperature of 73 F and 49 F at the bottom. Oxygen levels were adequate to a depth of 22.0 feet. There are no prominent inlets and only one outlet. Shoreline substrates are dominated by boulder, rubble, and ledge rock with some areas of sand. Aquatic vegetation is sparse throughout the basin. The overall gillnet catch rate for all fish combined was 4.7 fish/net which is similar to the two previous surveys (4.2 in 1972 and 4.0 in 1981). Fish species sampled in gill nets were smallmouth bass, yellow perch, and northern pike. The overall trapnet catch rate for all fish combined was 9.2 fish/net which is better than the only other survey that used trap nets (0.3 fish/net in 1972). Fish species sampled in trap nets were smallmouth bass, yellow perch, and bluegill. Smallmouth bass are by far the dominate species in this fishery. The smallmouth gill net catch rate was 4.2 fish/net which is very good compared to other similar lakes. The gillnet catch rate has increased over time based on three surveys. Lengths from gill nets ranged from 7 to 16 inches with an average of 10 inches. The catch was dominated by small fish with an average weight of 0.5 pounds. The trapnet catch rate was 8.6 fish/net which is also very good compared to similar lakes. Lengths were similar to the gillnetted fish, although the maximum size was 17 inches. Ages ranged from 2 to 8 years. Growth appears to be average for lakes in the Tower Area. The yellow perch gillnet catch was similar to the two previous surveys. This rate is low compared to other similar lakes. The two fish that were sampled were each 12 inches long. The bluegill trapnet catch was 0.3 fish/net which is low compared to other similar lakes. Lengths ranged from 4.5 to 6.5 inches. Even though only three fish were captured in the trap nets, there were many observed swimming in the shallows near where the nets were located. Sizes looked small on average. Ages were 3 to 4 years old. One surprise large northern pike was sampled in a gill net. It was 40 inches long and weighed 15 pounds. This is the first pike surveyed in the lake.

Smallmouth bass are present in above average numbers while yellow perch, bluegills and suckers are present in below average numbers.

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

Meander has a maximum depth of 25 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Meander is from 2014. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

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