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| Nearest Town: 2 mi. W of Aurora Primary County: St. Louis |
Survey Date: 04/27/2005 Inventory Number: 69-0429-00 |
| Ownership | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota DNR | Concrete | Township maintained boat launch on north-central side of pit with concrete ramp. |
| Other | Unknown | Walk-down unimproved accesses on east and south shores. |
|
Lake Area (acres): 156.00 |
Dominant Bottom Substrate: N/A |
| Did you know? Spawning habitat improvements can enhance naturally reproducing populations of fish species such as walleye and northern pike. |
| Species | Number of fish per net | Average Fish Weight (lbs) |
Normal Range (lbs) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caught | |||||
| Lake Trout | Gill net | 7.2 | 0.8 - 4.3 | 1.19 | 1.2 - 3.1 |
| Rainbow Trout | Gill net | 0.8 | N/A - N/A | 1.12 | N/A - N/A |
| White Sucker | Gill net | 1.8 | 1.7 - 5.0 | 1.29 | 1.6 - 2.4 |
| 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 | |
| Lake Trout | 0 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 43 |
| Rainbow Trout | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| For the record, the largest Rock Bass (tie) taken in Minnesota weighed 2 lbs. and was caught:
When: 5/10/98 Statistics: 13.5" length, 12.5" girth |
Fish Stocked by Species for the Last Ten Years
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Brook Trout | yearlings | 1,600 | 235.3 |
| 2009 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,550 | 574.1 |
| 2008 | Brook Trout | yearlings | 1,534 | 639.1 |
| 2007 | Brook Trout | yearlings | 1,550 | 553.6 |
| 2006 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,550 | 580.5 |
| 2005 | Brook Trout | yearlings | 1,550 | 620.0 |
| 2004 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,551 | 470.0 |
| 2003 | Brook Trout | yearlings | 1,563 | 539.0 |
| Privately Stocked Fish |
|---|
| * indicates privately stocked fish. Private stocking includes fish purchased by the DNR for stocking and fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups. |
| Stocking Fish Sizes |
|---|
| Fry - Newly hatched fish that are ready to be stocked usually called "swim-ups". Walleye fry are 1/3 of an inch or around 8 mm. |
| Fingerling - Fingerlings are one to six months old and can range from a size of one to twelve inches depending on the species. Walleye fingerlings range from three to eight inches each fall. |
| Yearling - Yearling fish are at least one year old. A one-year-old fish can range from three to twenty inches depending on the species. Walleye yearlings average from six to twelve inches. |
| Adult - Adult fish are fish that have reached maturity. Depending on the species, maturity can be reached at two years of age. Walleye reach maturity between the ages of four and six years. |
No fish consumption guidelines are available for this lake. For more information, see the "Fish Consumption Advice" pages at the Minnesota Department of Health.
The Embarrass Mine Pit (also known as Lake Mine) was a natural iron ore mine that was operated from 1943 through 1964. During its operation in the late 1940's the southern portion of Wynne Lake was filled in and the Embarrass River, which used to flow over the Embarrass Mine area, was diverted into a channel to the west. After abandonment, the mine was allowed to fill with water and in 1992 the water surface area was 156 acres and the maximum depth was 465 ft. There are no inlets or outlets to Embarrass Mine Pit. Mine walls are generally steep with sloughing gravel and dirt in areas. Aquatic vegetation is extremely limited.
Shallow water gillnet investigations in 1978 and 1983 showed that water quality was excellent and that white sucker, northern pike, walleye, and bluegill sunfish were present. All of these species had likely been stocked by the public. Trout stocking began in 1984, and included lake trout stockings in 1984 and 1985. Lake trout were not stocked after 1985. Since 1998, large (1/3 lb each) rainbow trout and brook trout yearlings have been stocked in alternate years.
The water quality observed on 04/28/2005 was similar to previous investigations on this lake. The water was very clear (Secchi = 24 ft), and quite hard (total alkalinity = 112 ppm). The surface temperature was 45 F and the temperature at the end of the probe cable at 150 ft was 39 F. Oxygen levels were greater than 8 ppm to the end of the probe. Previous investigations done later in the summer consistently showed oxygen levels above 6 ppm to depths of 150 ft.
The three shallow gillnets in 2005, set in depths of 8-21 ft, caught 23 lake trout, 5 rainbow trout, and 8 white sucker. The three deep gillnets, set in depths of 30-100 ft, caught 20 lake trout and 3 white sucker.
Lake trout sizes in shallow and deep gillnets were very similar, with average lengths of 15" in each depth range. The largest lake trout was 23.6". Nine of the eleven lake trout stomachs that were examined contained daphnia, while one contained unidentified invertebrates and one was empty. Ageing of lake trout by scales and otoliths differed dramatically. Otolith ageing was confirmed by Paul Hauck (Lake Superior Area ageing technician), and showed that the lake trout in Embarrass Mine Pit are quite old and growing extremely slow.
The rainbow trout were 13-14" and had been stocked as 9" yearlings the previous spring. All of the four rainbow trout stomachs that were examined contained daphnia, while one also contained caddisfly larvae.
Notable by their absence in this assessment were brook trout or rainbow trout older than the most recent rainbow stocking in 2004. Although none of the lake trout stomachs examined in this assessment contained trout, previous investigations and angler reports have found trout in the stomachs of lake trout and northern pike.
Recent angler reports indicate that mostly lake trout are caught. One angler who regularly fishes the lake said that many anglers take limits of just-stocked trout shortly after stocking each spring.
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For more information on this lake, contact:
Area Fisheries Supervisor | Lake maps can be obtained from: Minnesota Bookstore |
For general DNR Information, contact: DNR Information Center 500 Lafayette Road St. Paul, MN 55155-4040 TDD: (651) 296-6157 or (888) MINNDNR Internet: www.dnr.state.mn.us E-Mail: info.dnr@state.mn.us |  Turn in Poachers (TIP):Toll-free: (800) 652-9093 |
