About Aitkin County, MN

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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

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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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Lake information report Name: Farm Island Nearest Town: Bennettville Primary County: Aitkin Survey Date: 07/30/2007 Inventory Number: 01015900 Lake Characteristics Lake Area (acres): 2002.91
Littoral Area (acres): 883
Maximum Depth (ft): 56
Water Clarity (ft): 3.7 (3.5-3.75) Dominant Bottom Substrate: N/A
Abundance of Aquatic Plants: N/A
Maximum Depth of Plant Growth (ft): N/A http://www.mnlakeplace.com 651-334-8312 steve vennemann Fish Sampled for the 2007 Survey Year Species Gear Used Number of fish per net Average Fish Weight (lbs) Normal Range (lbs) Caught Normal Range Black Crappie Trap net 0.33 0.3 - 1.7 0.28 0.3 - 0.6 Gill net 2.14 0.2 - 1.1 0.51 0.2 - 0.5 Bluegill Trap net 29.20 3.7 - 42.9 0.12 0.1 - 0.2 Gill net 3.71 N/A 0.17 N/A Bowfin (dogfish) Trap net 1.20 0.3 - 1.1 4.99 3.9 - 5.1 Gill net 0.21 0.1 - 0.2 4.19 3.0 - 5.2 Brown Bullhead Trap net 0.27 0.3 - 1.7 1.05 0.7 - 1.1 Gill net 1.00 0.3 - 1.6 1.57 0.7 - 1.2 Hybrid Sunfish Trap net 2.47 N/A 0.20 N/A Gill net 2.57 N/A 0.21 N/A Largemouth Bass Trap net 1.67 0.4 - 1.4 0.66 0.3 - 0.7 Species Number of fish caught in each category (inches) 0-5 6-8 9-11 12-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30+ Total black crappie 6 16 12 1 0 0 0 0 35 bluegill 346 139 0 0 0 0 0 0 490 bowfin (dogfish) 0 0 0 0 1 13 7 0 21 brown bullhead 0 1 1 14 2 0 0 0 18 hybrid sunfish 39 34 0 0 0 0 0 0 73 largemouth bass 10 18 6 4 4 0 0 0 43 northern pike 0 0 1 6 98 77 10 2 194 pumpkinseed 26 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 42 rock bass 28 20 41 0 0 0 0 0 89 walleye 0 6 39 38 42 25 1 0 151 white sucker 0 0 1 2 1 1 0 0 5 yellow bullhead 0 1 32 37 0 0 0 0 70 yellow perch 11 19 1 0 0 0 0 0 33 Year Species Age Number 2007 Walleye Fry 890,000 2006 Walleye Fry 890,000 2005 Walleye Fry 890,000 2004 Walleye Fry 900,000 2003 Walleye Fry 890,000 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. consulted. Dioxin
Mercury
PCBS - Polychlorinated biphenyls
PFOS - Perfluorooctane sulfanate Status of the Fishery (as of 07/30/2007) Farm Island is a large, hardwater lake with good clarity and is located 7 miles south of Aitkin. It is 2,054 acres with a maximum depth of 56 feet. There are several islands on the lake, which also has a complex bottom structure. There are two state owned public accesses, with concrete ramps, on the lake. One is on the north side of the lake and the other on the south end. The one on the north side was recently completed in the fall of 2007. The walleye population in Farm Island is looking good again this year. There is a strong 2002 year class that is just entering the 16 to 19 inch protected slot and two strong year classes, 2004 and 2005, coming up. The average length of the 2004 year class sampled in this survey was almost 14 inches so they should be showing up in the harvest as 14 and 15-inch walleye in 2008. Most of the fish from the strong 1999 year class will have now grown out of the protected slot. The males should be 19 to 20 inches long and the females up to 26 or 27 inches in length. Although there has been a modest increase of fish within the protected slot, it appears more fish are surviving to larger sizes. Whereas the mean gill net catch rate for walleye over 19 inches was 1.1 per net prior to the special regulation (ranging from 1.8 per net in 1970 trending down to 0.5 per net in 1991), it now averages 2.2 per net (ranging from 1.7 per net in 2000 to 2.6 per net in 2007). Northern pike, while abundant, are still exhibiting normal growth rates. The average length is down slightly from that seen in the last few surveys, but there are still some large fish out there. While there are no special regulations in effect on northern pike in Farm Island, the lake association encourages anglers to harvest the smaller northern pike, while releasing fish greater than 24 inches in length. For those anglers who are interested in catching panfish, Farm Island has abundant populations of black crappie and bluegill. There are two strong year classes of black crappie, the 2005 year class, which are 8 inches to 9 inches long, and the 2003 year class, which are about 11 inches long. There appears to have been very little changes to growth rates of either species in the last sixteen or more years. However, based on the trap net length frequency distribution and age distribution, it appears that most larger bluegill are being harvested before they have a chance to reach 8 inches, or age 7. Anglers targeting largemouth bass will find a good population of fish with a wide range of sizes available. Tullibee have been decreasing in abundance since the first survey nets were set in 1957; however, this was the first year that none were sampled in the assessment gill nets. Without tullibee in the fish community, it is feasible we will observe future decreases in growth rates for walleye and northern pike. ? http://www.mnlakeplace.com steve vennemann 651-334-8312

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LAKE INFORMATION

LAKE SANDY

Status of the Fishery (as of 07/11/2005)

HTTP://WWW.MNLAKEPLACE.COM

651-334-8312 STEVE VENNEMANN

Big Sandy Lake is located in northeastern Aitkin County approximately 9 miles north of McGregor. The lake is characterized as a large fertile walleye lake comprised of several habitat types. These include the open, windswept main basin, the deep cool eastern basin, Bill Horn Bay, the shallower and more isolated south basin, Webster Bay, and shallow bays containing dense rice beds on the south, east and northeast sides of the lake. The lake is currently managed for walleye, northern pike and black crappie. Walleyes are the most popular target for anglers, particularly in the main basin. The walleye in Big Sandy grow slowly and tend to be smaller on average than lakes with a faster growth rate. Past management has included a long history of various stocking strategies for walleye dating back to 1917. No measurable changes in the walleye abundance were detected due to stocking, therefore stocking was discontinued in 1995. Furthermore, the strongest year class of walleyes ever produced was in 1994, which was a year when stocking did not occur. The mean length for walleyes caught in the survey gill nets was only 10.8 inches long and only six percent measured 18 inches or longer. The size distribution was similar to what was found in previous surveys and gillnet catch rates were virtually identical to what was observed in 2001 at 3.2 fish per net. Survey data indicates that current catch rates are lower than what was documented through the 1990's when gill net catch rates ranged between 5.2 and 9.4 fish per net. Five different age classes were represented in this survey with the 2002 and 2003 year classes being the strongest. These fish will recruit to the sport fishery in the next couple of years. The walleye population will continue to be monitored at regular intervals in the future. Northern pike are also an important game fish in Big Sandy Lake. The gillnet catch rate for northern pike is about average for this type of lake at 4.6 per net and has ranged between 4.0 and 5.9 per net since 1975. The northern pike were also small, averaging just 17.8 inches, but ranging up to 26 inches in the survey gill nets. Despite the presence of a desirable yellow perch and tulibee population northern pike are small and seem to grow slow. Habitat segregation may explain some of this incongruity for example; yellow perch were mostly captured in the main basin, whereas northern pike were captured more often in the shallower, more vegetated areas of the lake. Angler harvest may also be a factor contributing to the lack of large pike. The abundance of yellow perch was about average for this type of lake and has fluctuated over time. The average size of perch was 8.0 inches and 30% were 9 inches or longer with some individuals reaching nearly 13.0 inches. The black crappie catch was up slightly from historical numbers and ranged in size from 7 to12 inches in length and averaged about 9 inches. The 2002 year class of crappies is strong and now are about 8 inches long. Bluegill numbers also showed an increase in 2005 with a strong 1999 year class and reasonable recruitment from the 2000, 2001 and 2002 year classes. Although not particularly numerous the average size was good with a mean of 7.2 inches and 33% of the sample over 8 inches in length. The tulibee population experienced summer kill in the mid 1980's but has since rebounded to normal levels. Tulibee were caught at a rate of 9.8 per net in 2005 with an average size of 13.8 inches with some fish reaching nearly 20 inches. Tulibee are a cold-water fish and provide quality forage for walleye and northern pike. They have a low tolerance for warm water and are therefore are usually limited to the confines of Bill Horn Bay during the summer months. Anglers are encouraged to release large northern pike and walleye and also to protect habitat by practicing responsible shoreline management techniques.

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651-334-8312 STEVE VENNEMANN

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Aitkin Glass Service in Northern Minnesota by Robert Swetz

Aitkin Glass Service is owned and operated by Greg Swetz in Northern Minnesota. Approximently 2 hours north of Minneapolis/ St Paul north to Hwy 169 & Hwy 210 you will find Aitkin Glass.

My brother Greg specializes in Auto glass, Commercial Buildings, Mirrored walls, plate glass, etc.

Here are some photos of the shop and some of the glass that Aitkin Glass carries. If you have a type of glass that the shop does not stock, it can be ordered.

The photograph below is my brother Greg and he owns Aitkin Glass Service. If you need any type of glass for just about anything, give Greg a call and ask mention (Vegas Bob) sent me and he will give you a great discount. The phone number is below and ask for Greg or Tim.

photographs above taken by: Robert Swetz and duplicating in any form is in violation of copyright infringement and subject to fines.

Please look at my new web site on photography www.SearchMyPics.com

Real Estate www.VegasBuildingsForSale.com

When the Real Estate Market slows down in the winter time it is time for me to get out and take a few days to enjoy what Big Sandy has to offer. I invited our boys up from Blaine Minnesota and we spent the day after Christmas on the lake with a good friend of mine. Tom Peterson allowed us to spend some time in one of his Ice Fishing Houses located out on Bell Horn Bay.

WWW.BellHornBayFishHouses.com Tom Peterson below and one of his houses.

After a great breakfast at the house the boys and myself headed out to the lake we arrived about 11:am at Tom's house and we were greeted by his dog who was just a wagging her tail as fast as she could. Tom was quick to greet us and helped to load up our equipment and we were off to the lake.

I/we do not get to spend much time with the boys as we all have busy and productive lives and being 120 miles apart does not help out the situation either, On this day though we spent many hours re-capping old stories and laughing until we cried. I really wanted to thank Tom for the House rental and to especially thank Matthew and Jamie for spending the day on the lake with Dad.

If you are looking at buying a cabin on Big Sandy Lake and are not sure untilo you fish it a few times I would really reccomend using Bell Horn Bay Fish Houses and check out the area. If you want to see the Gill Report for Big Sandy Lake go to my site and check it out.

http://www.bigsandylake.com/gill-net-report-2005.asp This link will give you direct access to the most current up to date Gill Net Report.

This is Jamie holding up a crappie that he caught! Matthew is on the left. Shortly after that Tom comes over and gives us some Venison sausage that he pre-pared out on the ice. It was Awesome.

WWW.BIGSANDYLAKE.COM