Fishing Blind Sucker Flooding

The Blind Sucker Flooding offers trophy northern pike potential, with one monster 42-inch, 18-pound pike captured in the 2007 survey and 22% of pike reaching the 24-inch legal size. Pike growth has improved significantly since 1999, when fish were growing 3.2 inches slower than state average compared to just 1.3 inches slower in 2007. This 407-acre flooding reaches a maximum depth of 6 feet and consists of a drowned river channel with both floating and submerged aquatic plants. The darkly stained but clear water allows secchi disk visibility to the 6-foot bottom. White suckers dominate the biomass at 56%, providing excellent forage for pike, with an unusual abundance of 5-15 inch suckers that typically hide better in the dark water. The flooding lies within Lake Superior's heavy snowbelt, creating very long, dark, ice-covered winters that limit the fish community to hardy species. Yellow perch are abundant by number (31% of catch) but run small, averaging 5.6 inches with only 7% reaching 7+ inches. Both pumpkinseed sunfish and rock bass are naturally present and growing at or near state average, but comprise minor portions of the community due to harsh conditions. Two state forest campgrounds provide boat launch access, with some campsites allowing boats to be grounded on-site. The simple predator-prey balance requires maintaining large pike to control the abundant sucker population, making this primarily a pike fishery despite the presence of multiple panfish species.