Fishing Monocle Lake

Monocle Lake is a deep, clear 146-acre lake near Lake Superior with naturally reproducing walleye despite being a low-productivity system. The 2009 survey showed major improvement in fish community balance, with white suckers dropping from 70% to 33% of biomass since 1998. Walleye are reproducing successfully on an artificial spawning reef completed in 1989, though they're growing 1.1 inches slower than state average. The population was estimated at 220-250 adult walleye, with only 11% reaching legal size. Rock bass provide the best panfishing, growing 0.3 inches faster than state average with 64% reaching 6+ inches. Yellow perch are abundant but small, averaging just 2.6 inches with only 1% legal size. Northern pike are rare but large, averaging 27 inches with all fish legal size. Smallmouth bass use the artificial reef extensively and provide a modest fishery with 40% reaching 14+ inches. The lake has limited shallow water habitat with only 15% littoral zone and sharp drop-offs to 55 feet maximum depth. Dissolved oxygen remains good to about 30 feet depth. Sand and gravel bottom with sparse vegetation limits productivity, and calcium levels of just 4.8 mg/L may restrict invertebrate populations. Historical illegal gillnetting has impacted the fishery - a 1,000-foot net discovered in 1995 contained 100 pounds of fish. The USFS campground provides boat access, and over 80% of shoreline is publicly owned.