Nigh Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 69045700
DNR records show 5 stocking entries at Nigh Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2024 (80,000 fish).
- Nigh Lake has 5 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2016-2024): walleye (5).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 400,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 12 ft; surface area 41 acres, 41 littoral acres, 1.6 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 4.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: northern pike, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- St. Louis County, nearest town Buyck; DNR lake number (DOW) 69045700.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 80,000 | 0.7 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 80,000 | 0.8 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 80,000 | 0.9 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 80,000 | 0.9 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 80,000 | 0.8 |
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| PO | USF | Short portage off Astrid Lake Hiking Trail from Jeanette Lake to the east shoreline near north end of lake. Approximately 1 mile from the trailhead at Jeanette Lake. |
| PO | USF | 50 rod portage from Pauline Lake at the southwest end of lake. |
DNR fish survey, 2021
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 6.00 | 24 | 0.18 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 4.00 | 16 | 1.28 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 2.25 | 9 | 2.38 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 1.50 | 6 | 2.01 |
Catch per net (CPUE) is the DNR survey's count per gill net or trap net set; higher means more of that species were sampled, not a fishing forecast. Top species per gear shown; where we have no verified common name for a DNR code, the code itself is shown.
Nigh Lake is a 41 acre lake located 20 miles north of Tower. The access is via a 50 rod portage from Pauline Lake. The Lake has a maximum depth of 12 feet and brown bog-stained water. On July 8, 2021 Nigh Lake was thermally stratified with a surface temperature of 75 F and a bottom temperature of 57 F. Oxygen levels were adequate for gamefish to a depth of 6.5 feet where the temperature was 64 degrees. Lake bottom substrates along the shoreline are mostly boulder and ledge rock with muck in some of the bays. The overall gillnet catch rate for all fish combined was 13.8 fish/net which was average for Nigh Lake. Yield was 14.6 lbs/net which was the lowest on record for the lake. Fish species sampled were yellow perch, walleye, northern pike, and white sucker. Sixteen walleye were sampled for a catch rate of 4.0 fish/net, which was just below average compared to other similar lakes but the highest on record for Nigh Lake. Lengths ranged from 11 to over 20 inches with an average of 15 inches. Ages ranged from 3 to 9 years. Of the 15 fish that were aged, all came from stocked years with three year classes represented. The northern pike gillnet catch was 2.3 fish/net which was low compared to other similar lakes and tied for the lowest on record for Nigh Lake. Lengths ranged from 19 to 24 inches with an average of just over 21 inches. Sizes were similar to past surveys. The yellow perch catch rate was 6.0 fish/net which was lower than average compared to other similar lakes but higher than average for Nigh Lake. Sizes ranged from 5 to nearly 12 inches with an average of just over 6 inches. Sizes were similar to past surveys.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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