Echo

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Echo Lake, was conducted on July 7 - July 9, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment Program staff. Nearshore sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing, mini-fyke nets, and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at thirteen sampling stations, one station was sampled from the boat due to depth and bog-like substrate. 1/8" mesh mini-fyke net sampling was completed at fourteen sampling stations, however one net collapsed overnight and was not included in catch analysis. Additionally, a 50-foot seine was used to sample three stations and a 15-foot seine was used at five stations. Six stations were not seined due to vegetation or substrate conditions. Nearshore sampling captured eighteen species of fish, including three species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Burbot, Rock Bass, and Smallmouth Bass) and three that are tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Black Bullhead, Fathead Minnow, and Green Sunfish). The nearshore data along with gill net and standard trap net data will be used to develop fish community models for Minnesota 's Boreal Shield lakes to measure lake health in this region. These models may function similarly to fish index of biological integrity (IBI) models developed for lakes across much of the rest of the state. For additional information, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. You can help protect the fish community in Echo Lake by avoiding disturbance of shoreline vegetation, and cleaning, draining, and drying gear to prevent the spread of invasive species.

Echo Lake is located approximately four miles north of Buyck, Minnesota. This 1,142-acre lake has a maximum depth of 10 feet and dark tannin-stained water. Echo Lake is part of the Sentinel Lakes program, meaning it is subject to more frequent and intensive lake surveys to monitor long-term environmental changes. A fisheries survey was completed in Echo Lake during the 2024 field season as part of a regular rotation of surveys in the International Falls Management Area. Echo Lake has no special regulations. Fishing regulations follow statewide regulations for inland waters. Northern Pike regulations follow the North-East zone regulation. Previous management plans identify several long-range goals, including providing a self-sustaining fish community with Walleye as the primary management species. Walleye gill net catch rate was 10.6 fish per net, which was above average compared to similar lakes. The catch rate was above the management goal of at least 8.0 fish per net for Echo Lake. Total length ranged from 8.5 to 25.3 inches with an average length of 14.7 inches. Average weight was 1.2 pounds, which was above average compared to similar lakes. A total of 13 year-classes were present and ages ranged from 1 to 16 years. Strong year-classes from 2019 and 2021 were present and accounted for approximately half of the catch. Echo Lake's higher than average catch rates offer anglers a great opportunity to catch eater size Walleye. Northern Pike gill net catch rate was 5.6 per net, which was above average compared to similar lakes. Total length ranged from 18.9 to 31.1 inches with an average length of 22.9 inches. Average weight was 2.5 pounds and was above average compared to similar lakes. A total of five year-classes were present and ages ranged from 2 to 6 years. Strong year-classes from 2019 and 2020 were present and accounted for approximately 75 percent of the total catch. With above average catch rate and a decent size structure, Echo Lake provides a good fishing opportunity for anglers targeting Northern Pike. Black Crappie trap net catch rate was 4.9 fish per net, which was well above average compared to similar lakes. Total length ranged from 4.1 to 13.3 inches with an average length of 9.4 inches. Average weight was 0.5 pounds, which was slightly below average compared to similar lakes. A total of nine year-classes were present and ages ranged from 2 to 16 years. A strong year-class from 2019 was present and accounted for two-thirds of the total catch. With above average catch rates and a good size structure, Echo Lake provides an excellent opportunity for anglers targeting Black Crappie. Smallmouth Bass electrofishing catch rate was 19.4 fish per hour of on-time, which was above the Echo Lake historical average of 14.7 fish per hour of on-time. Total length ranged from 7.7 to 17.8 inches with an average length of 14.1 inches. Average weight of Smallmouth Bass was 0.9 pounds. A total of six year-class were present and ages ranged from 3 to 14 years. A strong year-class from 2019 was present and accounted for approximately half of the total catch. With good numbers of 12-to-16-inch Smallmouth Bass, Echo Lake provides a good opportunity for anglers targeting Smallmouth Bass. Yellow Perch gill net catch rate was 7.2 fish per net, which was below average compared to similar lakes. Total length ranged from 5.3 to 10.6 inches with an average length of 6.5 inches. Average weight of Yellow Perch was 0.13 pounds, which was below average compared to similar lakes. A total of four year-classes were present and ages ranged from 2 to 5 years. Yellow Perch in Echo Lake offer an additional fishing opportunity and more importantly provide great forage for Walleye and Northern Pike. Other species sampled during this survey included Bluegill, Golden Shiner, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, Shorthead Redhorse, and White Sucker.

Echo Lake is a 1,142 acre lake in St. Louis County located approximately 4 miles north of Buyck, Minnesota. Echo is a shallow lake with a maximum depth of 10 feet and dark brown tinted water. There is a public access at a US Forest Service campground on the southwest side of the lake. Echo Lake is a Minnesota Sentinel Lake; thus, investigations will be used to determine how the lake is responding to factors such as climate change, watershed development, invasive species, and runoff. This 2019 investigation was part of a regular rotation of fisheries surveys in the International Falls Management Area. The Black Crappie catch rate in 2019 was the second highest ever recorded in Echo Lake, and much higher than what would be expected for this lake type. Growth and average size were both within the expected range for Echo. The largest caught were over 13 inches. Crappie ages ranged from 1 to 10 years old, but a particularly strong 2015 year class (age 4 at the time of this survey) made up 80% of the sample. There are also Bluegill present, but in much lower abundance. Northern Pike catch rates were average for this type of lake. The sizes are relatively small, with an average of about 20 inches. Growth is also slower than in most other International Falls area lakes. The largest Northern Pike caught in 2019 was 27.5 inches. Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass are most effectively sampled with electrofishing gear. Electrofishing could not be completed in 2019 due to an equipment failure, so a Bass survey could not be completed for this survey. Past surveys have shown that there is a fairly abundant Smallmouth Bass population at times, and a much less abundant Largemouth Bass population present in Echo Lake. Walleye are abundant in Echo Lake. Nearly every survey produces catch rates greater than the expected range for this type of lake, and the 2019 investigation was no different. There is steady recruitment of new year classes, so there are a wide range of ages and sizes of Walleye in Echo. The 2019 sample included Walleye from 7 to 28 inches and ages from 1 to 17 years old. The average size sampled was 13.5 inches. Growth of these fish was similar to other International Falls area lakes. Yellow Perch are mainly a forage species in Echo. Abundance is fairly low, and the average size is about 6 inches. There are a few that grow over 8 inches. About 80% of the Yellow Perch sampled in 2019 were from the 2017 year class. Other species sampled during the 2019 survey included Pumpkinseed, Redhorse, and White Sucker.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Smallmouth Bass, Black Crappie, Walleye, Northern Pike, and Rock Bass in Echo. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

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

Echo has a maximum depth of 10 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Echo is from 2025.

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