Brown

Brown is a 76-acre, Class 10 lake in the interior of Voyageurs National Park (VNP), accessible by portage trail from Rainy Lake. Brown Lake has soft water, low fertility and low productivity. Brown Lake is 26 feet deep, and thermos stratification is common during the summer months resulting in low dissolved oxygen levels at deeper depths. The shoreline is undeveloped, except for the trailhead and a primitive campsite. Brown Lake has a simple fish community dominated by Northern Pike. A standard survey was completed in Brown Lake in mid-July of 2024. VNP maintains one primitive campsite located on the south-east shore of Brown Lake. To access the campsite, users must travel 20 miles by watercraft to Anderson Bay on Rainy Lake and hike 2.7 miles on the Cruiser trail. Alternatively, users can access the campsite from Kabetogama which requires a 6-mile boat ride followed by a 5.5-mile hike on the Cruiser trail. Campsite usage on Brown Lake is relatively low with around 20 reservations. A canoe is available at the campsite, and starting in 2025, all campsite reservations will include canoe usage without the need to book one separately. To prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species and exotic viruses, anglers are only allowed to use artificial baits. In addition, no privately-owned watercraft (boats, canoes, kayaks, etc.) or float planes are allowed on interior lakes such as Brown Lake. Brown Lake has no special regulations aside from VNP's artificial only regulation. Fishing regulations follow statewide regulations of inland waters. Previous management plans identify several long-range goals, including providing a self-sustaining native fish community with Northern Pike as the primary management species. Northern Pike gill net catch rate was 5.8 fish per net, which was above average compared to similar lakes. Total length ranged from 12.8 to 25.9 inches with an average length of 20.2 inches. A total of six year-classes were present and ages ranged from 1 to 6 years. Northern Pike growth rates are below average compared to other lakes in the area, but Brown Lake still provides a good opportunity for anglers looking for remote fishing experience. Yellow Perch were the only other species sampled during this survey and are typically sampled in very low numbers. Yellow Perch catch rate was 1.0 fish per net, which was below average compared to similar lakes. Total length ranged from 5.9 to 6.9 inches with an average length of 6.3 inches. A total of 3 year-classes were present and ages ranged from 3 to 5 years. Yellow Perch offer an additional fishing opportunity for anglers and act as forage for Northern Pike.

Brown is a 76 acre, class 10 lake located in the interior of Voyageurs National Park. Brown Lake has a relatively simple fish community dominated by northern pike. Northern pike abundance has increased with each investigation to a high of 7.50 fish/set in 2004, which is higher than what is found in 75% of other class 10 lakes. Fish captured were generally small and growth was slow. Average weight was 1.9 pounds and length ranged from 7.3 to 27.1 inches with a mean of 20.3. The slow growth of northern pike was likely due to the high number of northern pike and limited forage. No other species of fish were captured during the investigation, including during seining. However, minnows and yellow perch were observed while traveling on the lake.

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

Brown has a maximum depth of 27 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Brown is from 2024.

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