Moose

Moose (Moses) Lake is a small (88 acre) lake in Wright County located five miles south of the town of South Haven. It has a maximum depth of 43 feet and a small watershed consisting mostly of forest and grassland. A small public access with very limited parking is located on the south end of the lake within Stanley Eddy County Park. Moose Lake is managed primarily for Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike and was last surveyed in 2000. Anglers can expect good fishing for Largemouth Bass, smaller Northern Pike, and Bluegill. Coontail, flat stem pondweed and narrow leaf pondweed species were the most common aquatic plants found and grew to a maximum depth of 20 feet. Cattail and waterlilies covered nearly the entire shoreline. Water clarity was good; Secchi depth was 8.5 feet in June. Summer 2015 MPCA Secchi data showed a range of 7 to 12 feet. Largemouth Bass were sampled by daytime boat electrofishing in late May and catch numbers were average for the Sauk Rapids Area. Lengths ranged from 6.5 to 18.9 inches, with an average length of 12.7 inches. Of catchable size fish (> 8 inches), 30% were longer than 15 inches. Northern Pike numbers were higher than expected for lakes similar to Moose. Lengths ranged from 10.7 to 32.4 inches with an average length and weight of 19.6 inches and 1.8 pounds. Only 13% of Northern Pike were 24 inches or longer. Bluegill numbers were higher than in 2000, but within the range of expected values for similar lakes. Lengths ranged from 3.0 to 8.6 inches with an average length of 6 inches. Black Crappie numbers were below the expected range of values and lengths ranged from 5.9 to 10.2 inches, with an average length of 8.8 inches. Other species caught included: Bowfin (dogfish), Black Bullhead, Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Yellow Bullhead, and one large Walleye (25 inches). Anglers can help maintain a healthy fishery by selectively harvesting smaller gamefish and releasing larger fish. Landowners can help maintain habitat and water quality by leaving their lakeshore in a natural condition and leaving aquatic plants and woody debris in the lake.

Moses Lake is located 5 miles south of South Haven in Wright County. The lake has a surface area of 88 acres, mean depth of 9.7 feet and a maximum depth of 43 feet. Water quality in the lake is good due to a small watershed and limited development. Moses is a good example of a bass-panfish lake, with clear water and relatively abundant largemouth bass, sunfish, and northern pike. A public access is located on the southeast part of the lake.Largemouth bass size (13.4 inches) and catch rate were average, but growth was slow. Most bass were 12-15 inches and 6-8 years old; the largest captured was 19.1 inches and was estimated to be 14 years old.Northern pike were captured using gill nets in previous surveys and were relatively abundant. No gill nets were used in 2000, but a few pike were caught in trap nets. Given the clear water and abundant spawning area, pike are probably still abundant. Northern pike seem to grow slowly in Moses Lake due to a lack of preferred forage. Only one yellow perch was captured in the 2000 survey, and none were sampled in the 1982 survey.Bluegill catch rates and average size have declined since the 1982 survey. Survey results previously showed a high number of small, stunted bluegill. The 2000 survey found bluegill abundance and growth to be in the expected range for lakes similar to Moses, but average size (4.9 inches) remained low. However, several bluegill from 8.0 to 8.5 inches were captured. Black crappie averaged 8 inches, but few fish were caught; previous surveys also found few crappies. Most black crappie were 6 years old and growing slowly.Yellow bullheads were abundant and relatively large. The average size was 10.3 inches and 0.6 pounds. The catch rate of yellow bullhead was lower than in 1982, while mean size remained the same. Other species captured during the 2000 survey included pumpkinseed sunfish, hybrid sunfish, green sunfish, and bowfin.If fishing pressure remains light, Moses Lake will likely retain a healthy fishery. Anglers can help by selectively harvesting smaller gamefish to eat and releasing larger fish. Lakeshore owners can preserve fish habitat and water quality by using good management practices on their property and leaving vegetation and natural areas as undisturbed as possible.

Northern Pike numbers were high. Six age classes were caught with ages 2 and 3 most abundant. Growth was average. Largemouth Bass numbers were average. Only two age classes were caught and growth was slow. Natural reproduction was seen in shoreline seining. Bluegill abundance was high. Ages 3-7 were caught and growth rates show a stunted population. An abundant 1982 year class was seen in shoreline seining. Black Crappie abundance was average. Three age classes were caught.

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

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

Moose has a maximum depth of 43 feet and a mean depth of 9.7 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Moose is from 2015. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

Yes — Moose has confirmed zebra mussel. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.