Picket

Picket is a 316-acre lake located six miles southeast of Buyck. It is similar Beartrap, Fenske, and Mudro in the Tower area. Picket is relatively shallow and lightly bog-stained, with moderate water clarity. At the time of the 2023 survey the survey crew found the max depth to be 19 feet. Picket was thermally stratified on 7/10/2023, with a surface temperature of 70.7 F and a bottom temperature of 51.4 F. Oxygen levels sufficient for fish were present to 15 feet. Secchi visibility was 9 feet. Lake water levels dropped about 20 years ago following the failure of a beaver dam downstream of the outlet. It is thought that the drop in lake level cut-off northern pike access to spawning habitat and allowed the walleye population to expand. The lake conditions that favor walleye recruitment over northern pike appear unchanged. Reaching Picket requires travelling five miles of gravel road via the 477 and 200 roads off the Echo Trail. The 477 was in good shape but a high clearance vehicle is recommended. There is parking space for at least four vehicles and the access is carry-down only. Water levels were low in 2023 but the first beaver pond to the portage was floatable. The portage to Picket was in good condition. The 2023 survey consisted of six gill net sets over two nights. Catches were dominated by walleye and white sucker, followed by northern pike and yellow perch. Walleye catch abundance (8.7/net) was above average compared to similar lakes and past surveys of Picket. Lengths ranged from 7 to 27 inches with a mean of 14.5 inches. Walleye growth was average for the Tower area and natural reproduction was consistent. Northern pike abundance (1.2/net) was low. Pike lengths ranged from slightly under 20 inches to 30.3 inches with a mean of 24.5 inches. Yellow Perch numbers (1.5/net) were the lowest sampled from Picket, but above average compared to similar lakes. Lengths ranged from 6.0 to 11.5 inches with a mean of 7 inches. Most walleye stomachs were not examined but several fish were engorged on YOY yellow perch. Two rusty crayfish were entangled in nets. This was the first time the species had been documented in Picket.

Picket Lake is a 316-acre lake with a maximum depth of 23.0 feet located six miles southeast of Buyck in north central St. Louis County. Picket Lake is one of a number of small walleye lakes with remote accesses including Nigh, Pauline, Astrid, Maude, and Crellin in the Tower Fisheries Area. All of these lakes are in the Superior National Forest but outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in an area referred to as the Echo Trail corridor. This is an area adjacent to the Echo Trail where motorized equipment is allowed. Picket is four miles south of the Echo Trail (Co. Rd. 116) on Forest Road 200 and is accessed via Forest Road 477. From Forest Road 477, there is a short 40 rod portage to the lake. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical and chemical characteristics. Picket Lake is in lake class 10. Lakes in this lake class are small in size (mean: 100 acres), moderately deep (mean maximum depth: 38 feet), and have soft water. Picket Lake has a simple fish community composed of walleye, northern pike, white sucker, and yellow perch. Survey catches in 1976 and 1984 were dominated by northern pike; however, since 2000, survey catches were dominated by walleye. The reason for this change is not known. Northern pike abundance in the earliest two investigations was very high, well above what you would typically find in a class 10 lakes. In 2011, pike abundance was below what you would typically find in class 10 lakes. Pike captured measured from 14.7 inches to 28.1 inches with a mean length and weight of 21.6 inches and 2.1 pounds. Walleye abundance was just the opposite of northern pike when looking at all investigations. Walleye were absent in the initial investigation (1976) and were barely sampled in the next investigation in 1984. However, in 2001, walleye abundance increased significantly and was above what you would typically find in a class 10 lake. In 2011, abundance decreased slightly but was still high. In 2011, walleye ranged in length from 9.2 to 29.3 inches with a mean length and weight of 14.2 inches and 1.3 pounds. Eight different year classes were identified. Walleye have not been stocked according to DNR records. White sucker abundance has increased over time and is now abundant in Picket Lake. Mean length sucker was 16.6 inches and was comparable to past investigations. In terms of pounds, suckers made up 69% of the catch in 2011. Yellow perch abundance was down from the previous findings (2001), but was still typical of what you would find in class 10 lakes. Yellow perch ranged in length from 5.5 inches to 9.1 inches with a mean length of 7.2 inches.

Picket Lake is in Ecological Lake Class 10, which consists of 76 lakes in northeast Minnesota that are small and have very soft (unmineralized) water. Picket Lake is larger and shallower, but has a lower proportion of littoral area than most of the lakes in this lake class.Picket Lake was thermally stratified on 07/16/2001 with a surface temperature of 74 F and a bottom temperature of 59 F, and retained 2 ppm oxygen to a depth of 15 ft where the temperature was 64 F. Two inlets drain local swamps. The outlet to Echo Lake has beaver dams and rapids which limit fish movement. Bottom substrates along the shoreline are 52% boulder, 36% ledgerock, and 16% sand. Aquatic plants are sparse and grow to a depth of 8 ft; burreed is the most common plant.Fish sampling in this fish population assessment consisted of six gillnet sets. The initial fisheries lake survey (1976) and a fish population assessment (1984) used four gillnet sets. Trapnets have not been used on this lake due to the difficult portage access.Fish populations in 2001 were dominated by walleye, followed by white sucker and yellow perch. Northern pike numbers, which had been high in 1976 and 1984, were very low in 2001.The total catch of fish (all species combined) in the gillnets in 2001 of 25.5 fish/net (32.1 lb/net) were in the fourth quartile for this lake class and were similar to previous catches in this lake in 1976 and 1984. Lake Class 10 is one of the least productive lake classes in northeast Minnesota, in terms of gillnet catches of fish.Walleye numbers in 2001 (11.7/gillnet) were in the fourth quartile for this lake class and were much higher than in 1976 (when none were caught) and 1984 (0.8/gillnet). Picket Lake has not been stocked according to DNR records. Walleye sizes in 2001 averaged 14.5" (1.2 lb), which was in the second quartile for this lake class; the largest walleye in 2001 was 21.3". Walleye were present from six year classes; ages 1-6. Walleye growth was faster than normal by area standards.White sucker numbers in 2001 (7.2/gillnet) were in the fourth quartile for this lake class and were higher than in 1976 (3.0/gillnet) and 1984 (5.0/gillnet). Sucker sizes in 2001 averaged 17.3"; the largest was 20.2".Yellow perch numbers in 2001 (6.0/gillnet) were in the third quartile for this lake class and were similar to catches in 1976 (7.0/gillnet) and 1984 (4.0/gillnet). Perch sizes in 2001 averaged 7.0" (0.15 lb), which was near the median for this lake class; the largest perch was 10.0". Perch scales were difficult to read, but perch growth appeared to be faster than normal by area standards. All perch were ages 2-4.Northern pike numbers in 2001 (0.7/gillnet) were in the first quartile for this lake class and were much lower than in 1976 (13.8/gillnet) and in 1984 (15.2/gillnet). Pike sizes in 2001 ranged from 18-29", and ages were 1-3 and 5. Pike growth appeared to be faster than normal by area standards. The water level in Picket Lake appeared to be lower than normal in 2001. Since the shoreline is very rocky and the only good spawning marsh for northern pike was at the inlet, a drop in water level may have reduced northern pike spawning success, and caused their numbers to decline.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Walleye, Northern Pike, and Yellow Perch in Picket. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Picket has a maximum depth of 23 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Picket is from 2023.

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