Fishing Lake Antoine

Lake Antoine offers excellent walleye fishing with 100% of the catch above the 15-inch legal limit and impressive average size of 20.4 inches. Walleye growth rates are well above state (+0.8) and regional (+1.7) averages, indicating excellent forage availability for this species. The 174 walleyes captured during the 2007 survey showed good age structure spanning 3-18 years, with some natural reproduction occurring alongside stocked fish contributions. Northern pike average 23 inches but show below-average growth (-1.7), with only 36% reaching the 24-inch legal size - young pike grow fast but older fish face food competition. The lake's most abundant species are rock bass (989 caught) and yellow perch (1,010 caught), though yellow perch average only 5.1 inches with below-average growth (-1.7) and just 7% reaching desirable harvest size. Bluegills show above-average growth (+0.3) and averaged 5.2 inches, with 24% reaching harvest size. Largemouth bass are impressive with 92% legal size and 16.3-inch average length, while smallmouth bass average 14.6 inches with 71% legal size. The lake's 748 acres feature mostly sand and organic bottom substrates with extensive aquatic vegetation in nearshore areas, providing excellent fish habitat. Maximum depth reaches 25 feet in this single-basin lake with several small bays. Lake Antoine receives unique groundwater input from the Hamilton Mine Shaft at the west end, creating a hydraulic connection with underlying bedrock. Historical fish habitat improvements include walleye spawning bars of shattered granite, over 100 fish shelters, and oak fish cribs placed in strategic locations. White sucker populations were successfully reduced through removal efforts in 1990-1991 when 2,000 pounds were harvested, though this unexpectedly reduced forage for northern pike.