Upper Maple Lake

How big is Upper Maple Lake?

How deep is Upper Maple Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Upper Maple Lake?

Are there boat launches on Upper Maple Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Upper Maple Lake?

What aquatic invasive species are found in Upper Maple Lake?

Maple Lake is 739 acre lake located adjacent to the town of Maple Lake in Wright County. It has a maximum depth of 76 feet and a small watershed composed primarily of cultivated crops, open water, pasture, and forest. Public accesses are located on both the northeast and southwest ends of the lake. Maple Lake is primarily managed for Northern Pike and Walleye and was last surveyed in 2009. Anglers can expect good fishing for Bluegill, Largemouth Bass and smaller Northern Pike.

Emergent and floating leaf vegetation was common along the shoreline, primarily cattail, white waterlily, and arrowhead. Submerged vegetation was also surveyed and the most common species were coontail, star duckweed, and northern milfoil. Curly leaf pondweed was mapped in June and covered 18% of the lake surface. Eurasian milfoil is present in Maple Lake; users should be careful not to spread this invasive plant to other lakes. Water clarity was excellent; Secchi depth was 15 feet in July and MPCA data show a trend of increasing clarity since the 1980s. Dissolved oxygen was adequate to support fish down to 26 feet in mid July.

Walleye numbers were low, but within the expected range of values for lakes like Maple and similar to the catch in 2009. Walleye lengths ranged from 13.3 to 25.2 inches with an average length and weight of 21.0 inches and 3.5 pounds. Walleye ages ranged from 1 to 13 years with most fish between 2 and 5 years old. Walleye growth was average, reaching 17.5 inches in five years. Walleye fingerlings have been stocked every other year for many years, along with some yearlings and adults. Abundant Northern Pike likely hinder Walleye survival.

Northern Pike catches have been high in recent surveys. The catches in 2015 and 2009 were well above the expected range for similar lakes. Northern Pike lengths in 2015 ranged from 9.7 to 28.9 inches with an average length and weight of 20.0 inches and 1.6 pounds. The percentage of Northern Pike 24 inches or longer (11%) was the same as 2009.

Largemouth Bass were sampled in early May by nighttime boat electrofishing. Bass numbers equaled the Sauk Rapids Area nighttime average, but were well below the catch in 2009. Lengths in 2015 ranged from 5.2 to 19.2 inches with an average length of 12.1 inches. Of catchable size fish (>8 inches), 21% were longer than 15 inches.

Bluegill numbers were near the average for lakes like Maple and similar to 2009. Lengths ranged from 2.9 to 8.5 inches with an average length of 5.5 inches. Targeted sampling was conducted from late May to early June (around spawning time) to better assess Bluegill numbers and size. Bluegill numbers were lower than the standard survey, but size was better; lengths ranged from 3.4 to 9.1 inches with an average length of 6.5 inches.

Black Crappie numbers were low, but within the expected range of values and modestly higher than in 2009. Lengths ranged from 3.6 to 10.7 inches with an average length of 7.7 inches. Surveys in mid summer likely under represent Black Crappie abundance and size; targeted sampling near shore around spawning time would help to better assess Black Crappie numbers and size.

Recent catches of Yellow Perch have been very low, likely due to predation by abundant Northern Pike. Other species captured in 2015 include: Black Bullhead, Brown Bullhead, Bowfin (Dogfish), Golden Shiner, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, and Yellow Bullhead.

What is the average air temp for Upper Maple Lake?