Big pine cutler minnesota aitkin

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Lake information report

Name: Big Pine

Nearest Town: Cutler Primary County: Aitkin

Survey Date: 08/27/2007 Inventory Number: 01015700

Public Access Information

http://www.mnlakeplace.com

steve vennemann for all your lake property needs in Minnesota & Wisconsin.

651-334-8312

Ownership	Type	Description
DNR	Concrete

Lake Characteristics

Lake Area (acres): 635.07 Littoral Area (acres): 259 Maximum Depth (ft): 78 Water Clarity (ft): N/A

Dominant Bottom Substrate: N/A Abundance of Aquatic Plants: N/A Maximum Depth of Plant Growth (ft): N/A

Did you know? Much of Minnesota's fisheries program is reimbursed by the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program (federal excise tax), administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Fish Stocked by Species for the Last Five Years

Year	Species	Age	Number
2007	Walleye	Fingerling	5,700
2006	Walleye	Fingerling	3,432
2005	Walleye	Fingerling	315
	Walleye	Yearling	860
2004	Walleye	Fingerling	4,406

Fish Consumption Guidelines

These fish consumption guidelines help people make choices about which fish to eat and how often. Following the guidelines enables people to reduce their exposure to contaminants while still enjoying the many benefits from fish.

Pregnant Women, Women who may become pregnant and Children under age 15

LAKE NAME County, DOWID	Species	Meal Advice	Contaminants
Unrestricted	1 meal/week	1 meal/month	Do not eat
BIG PINE Aitkin Co., 01015700	Bluegill Sunfish	All sizes
Crappie		All sizes			Mercury
Sunfish		All sizes			Mercury

General Population

LAKE NAME County, DOWID	Species	Meal Advice	Contaminants
Unrestricted	1 meal/week	1 meal/month	Do not eat
BIG PINE Aitkin Co., 01015700	Bluegill Sunfish	All sizes
Crappie	All sizes
Sunfish	All sizes

DOWID - MN DNR, Divion of Waters' lake ID number.

Contaminants listed were measured at levels high enough to warrant a recommendation to limit consumption.

Listing of consumption guidelines do not imply the fish are legal to keep, MN DNR fishing regulations should be consulted.

Dioxin
Mercury
PCBS - Polychlorinated biphenyls
PFOS - Perfluorooctane sulfanate

Status of the Fishery (as of 08/27/2007)

Big Pine Lake is a moderately clear water lake located in southwestern Aitkin County and is part of the Mille Lacs watershed. An improved public access is found on the southwestern end of the lake. Big Pine Lake has a variety of habitats available to the angler from open, wind swept gravel and rock to areas of heavy vegetation. Shorelines vary from areas with gentle slopes and shallow depths to areas with sharp drop-offs and deep water. Mid-water areas consist primarily of deep water, but there are several gravel bars with steep sides that rise to within a few feet of the surface.

Gamefish species available to anglers include walleye, northern pike, black crappie, bluegill and both largemouth and smallmouth bass. With the possible exception of the smallmouth bass all of these species are native to the lake. Walleye have been stocked with varying success in Big Pine Lake since the early 1900's. Due to poor returns from stocked fry in the late 1990s and early 2000s, fingerling stocking resumed in 2004 and is scheduled for annual stocking under the current management plan. The 2007 catch rate for walleye was 2.8 per net, which falls within the normal range for this lake type. Fish from the 2004 year class were most abundant and were 14 to 18 inches in length. Walleye fingerling survival will continue to be evaluated in upcoming surveys. Yellow perch abundance appears relatively steady within the last 4 surveys (1991 to 2007) with catch rates ranging from 1 to 3 yellow perch per gill net.

The gillnet catch rate for northern pike was down in this survey to 2.3 fish per net compared with 5.4 in 2003. Although abundance is down slightly, the size distribution of pike in Big Pine Lake is healthy with the average northern pike weighing over 3 pounds. During the 2007 survey the mean length for pike was 25.3 inches and fish up to 34 inches were sampled.

The bluegill population has been decreasing in recent years as indicated by both trap net and gill net assessments. Along with this decrease, there has been a steady increase in the numbers of hybrid sunfish, which accounted for the majority of sunfish over 7 inches (up to 8.6 inches). The average bluegill sampled was 5.2 inches long and the largest bluegill caught was 7.3 inches. Although spawning habitat and escape cover is not limited, bluegill appear to be increasing the frequency with which they spawn with other species, which might partly explain the decrease in abundance. The decline appears to be independent to the walleye stocking regime since the decline continued during the period of fry stocking when walleye survival (and potential predation) was very low. If bluegill densities continue to decline, we may see an improvement in growth rates. Nice sized black crappies are present in the fishery, but their abundance is very low. ?

http://www.mnlakeplace.com

steve vennemann for all your lake property needs in Minnesota & Wisconsin.

651-334-8312

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