Squash Lake

Cook County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data

Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 16009200

DNR records show 1 stocking entry at Squash Lake since 2016, most recently rainbow trout fingerlings in 2016 (1,500 fish).

• Squash Lake has 1 DNR stocking record across 1 year (2016-2016): rainbow trout (1).
• The most-stocked species by count is rainbow trout: 1,500 fish on record.
• Maximum depth 11 ft; surface area 24 acres, 24 littoral acres, 1.4 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
• Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 6.5 ft.
• Fish species DNR lists here: rainbow trout.
• 1 public access on the DNR list.
• Most recent DNR fish survey: September 10, 2014 (standard survey).
• Cook County, nearest town Maple Hill; DNR lake number (DOW) 16009200.

Stocking history

Public accesses

DNR fish survey, 2014

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.

Squash Lake has been managed for stream trout since 2004. It is not a designated stream trout lake, instead, it is one of the "Trophy Trout" lakes in the Grand Marais area. As such, it is open only to catch-and-release fishing during the open water season, and is closed to winter fishing. The use of bait is prohibited, and anglers are limited to artificial lures and flies only, with a single hook. Management goals for this lake, established in the 2004 lake management plan (LMP), call for creating a high-quality catch-and-release fishery supporting at least 10 angler-hr/acre (about 73 angler trips a year). The rainbow trout population density was to exceed 3.8 fish/acre (a fairly high number of fish). Unfortunately, poor access and a lack of funding have made it impossible to complete most of the surveys or assessments scheduled in the 2004 LMP. Only the temperature-oxygen monitoring included in the plan to determine whether conditions in Squash Lake were adequate for trout have been completed more-or-less as planned. Population assessments using gill nets were done in 2011 and 2014, and winter or summer temperature-oxygen conditions were checked in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, and 2014. Winter dissolved oxygen levels were checked at two locations in April 2014. Dissolved oxygen readings of 0.1 and 0.5 ppm were found at depths of three feet (just under the ice) at the two locations. A winterkill was considered a possibility, under those conditions. A summer temperature-oxygen profile was measured on 20 August 2014. Conditions ideal for brook (and rainbow) trout were found from the surface to a depth of nine feet. The summer of 2014 was cool, so those measurements may have represented a best-case scenario for this lake. Only rainbow trout were collected during the 2014 assessment, and all fish taken were survivors from the spring 2014 fingerling stocking. Growth of those fish had been fast. The absence of any older rainbow trout, and the absence of white sucker (present in 2011) suggested this lake may have winterkilled in 2014. If so, stocked rainbow trout would have enjoyed a summer with ideal temperature conditions and no competition for forage. Although attainment of goals from the 2004 LMP cannot be directly measured, it seems very unlikely they have been met. Stocking and assessment crews have commented on the lack of use on the access trail, which has been difficult to find every time DNR crews have visited the lake. Assessment results in 2011 and 2014 found poor rainbow trout populations - either too few fish (2011) or fish that were too small (2014)…

Minnesota DNR survey narrative, September 10, 2014.

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