Although channel catfish have shown up in lake surveys dating back to 1968 on Colby, the planets seem to have aligned perfectly in recent years for the population to expand.
Although the lake is just 575 acres in size, anglers throughout central Minnesota are aware of its ability to produce walleyes and crappies year after year.
Walleye fry continue to be stocked annually, and with some improvement in water quality and a natural reduction in the bigmouth buffalo population, the hope is that Fox will return to the outstanding fishery it
With a healthy walleye population, nice panfish, good numbers of largemouth bass, and a pike population that has improved in size structure in recent years, Minnie Belle is one of the county’s destination fishing lakes.
A 2019 DNR survey produced good numbers of eating-size walleyes that averaged 15 inches in length. That seems to be the story of Wolf: a strong resident population of keepers.
The lake’s walleye population is completely maintained through natural reproduction. An abundance of prime spawning habitat and a strong forage base in the way of yellow perch allow its walleyes to thrive.
And Franklin’s walleye population benefits from DNR fry stocking during even-numbered years and fingerling stocking by a local lake association in years the DNR doesn’t stock fish.
The DNR surveyed Lake Victoria last June, and it showed a strong year-class of 4-year-old crappies that are now 10 to 11 inches in length. Compared with past surveys, there also were better numbers of
Long Lake’s walleye numbers are in fine shape, but its physical characteristics make catching them a tricky proposition.
Sign up for the Outdoor News Weekly Newsletter and get 2 months of FREE access to OutdoorNews.com – packed with hunting, fishing, and conservation news. No Catch.
This offer includes digital access only (not the printed edition)
We’ve simplified things. Now you only need one password to access all your Outdoor News digital content.
If you hit the help page, follow the directions so you don’t miss out on any of our great content.
Let’s get you reading!
We’ve simplified things. Now you only need one password to access all your Outdoor News digital content.
• Click Continue below.
• You’ll be taken to the OutdoorNews.com sign-in screen.
• Don’t have an account yet? Create one—it’s quick!
• After signing in, click the E-Edition Login button again. When the pop-up appears, just click Continue. You’ll either:
If you hit the help page, follow the directions so you don’t miss out on any of our great content.
We know you love the outdoors—now we want to make OutdoorNews.com the ultimate destination for all things hunting, fishing, and conservation.
Take our brief 3 minute survey to share your thoughts, and help us build the best outdoor website on the planet. As a thank you, we’ll send you a special offer!
Together, we can make OutdoorNews.com even better.
For a limited time, you can get full access to breaking news, all original Outdoor News stories and updates from the entire Great Lakes Region and beyond, the most up-to-date fishing & hunting reports, lake maps, photo & video galleries, the latest gear, wild game cooking tips and recipes, fishing & hunting tips from pros and experts, bonus web content and much, much more, all on your smartphone, tablet or desktop For just a buck per month!
Some restrictions apply. Not valid with other promotions. $1 per month for 6 months (you will be billed $6) and then your subscription will renew at standard subscription rates. For more information see Terms and Conditions. This offer only applies to OutdoorNews.com and not for any Outdoor News print subscriptions. Offer valid thru 3/31/23.
Already a subscriber to OutdoorNews.com? Click here to login.
