Maple Lake Fishing guide

Spring trap netting in 2025 captured 533 Bluegill, of which 297 were measured. Spring sample sizes have historically ranged from 184 to 726 fish. Spring trap net catches are variable and heavily influenced by conditions and changes in catch rate are not typically indicative of a population change. Bluegill in 2025 ranged in length from 3.8 to 8.5 inches and averaged 6.95 inches. Fish exceeding 7 inches comprised 60 percent of the sample and fish over 8 inches made up 3.4 percent. Both of these quality metrics were slightly below 2024, when fish over 7 and 8 inches comprised 68 and 7.7 percent of the sample, respectively. These values are still an improvement from 2022 (36 percent; 1 percent) and 2019 (31 percent; 3.6 percent). Fish exceeding 9 inches have been absent in surveys since 2013. Bluegill size structure goals aim for at least 50% of the sample to exceed 7 inches, 10% to exceed 8 inches, 2% over 9 inches and the presence of fish 10 inches or longer. The 2024 and 2025 surveys have revealed progress towards goals for fish between 7 and 8 inches, however maximum size continues to fall below 9 inches. Other metrics used in evaluating the effects of a reduced bag limit include mean length, catch rate of fish over 8 inches, and mean length of the top 10 percent of the sample. Four combined pre-regulation surveys produced a mean length of 6.57 inches, catch rate of fish over 8 inches of 2.14/trap net, and mean length of top 10 percent of 8.06 inches. When combining 2024 and 2025 surveys, mean length was 7.1 inches, catch rate of fish over 8 inches was 1.61/trap net, and the average length of the top 10 percent was 8.05 inches. These metrics portray limited quality improvement following the implementation of the 10 fish bag limit.

No Bluegill were aged from the 2024 sampling. Otoliths were extracted in the 2019 spring trap net assessment with most fish displaying moderate growth up to 7.5 inches and then slowing considerably with few reaching 8 inches at age 9. Otoliths were also collected from angled fish during the winter of 2021-22. These fish ranged in age from 5 to 7 and averaged 7.25 inches at Age 7, displaying slow growth in comparison to Area means. These age and growth characteristics may help to explain why management goals of providing more 8 to 10 inch Bluegill have been difficult to achieve.

Black Crappie are abundant in Maple, but catches are variable in spring trap nets. Spring trap net surveys in Maple prior to 2025 have ranged from 36 to 658 and averaged 315 fish. A total of 361 Black Crappie were captured in 2025 ranging in length from 3.7 inches to 11.3 inches. Fish exceeding 12 inches were captured in 2022 but have not been present in most spring assessments. The mean length of the 227 Black Crappie measured in 2025 was 8.5 inches, which is within the historical range for this metric (5.4 inches to 9.6 inches) and similar to 2024 (8.3 inches). Fish over 10 inches in 2025 comprised 13% of the sample, which falls within the historical range (3.1% to 40.7%) and is similar to 2024 (13.3%).

Otoliths were extracted from Black Crappie in 2022 with a mean length of 9.1 inches at Age 5 observed. Growth slowed appreciably once the fish reached 10 inches. The most prominent year class in the sample was Age 11 with these fish averaging 10.7 inches long. The oldest fish sampled was 13 years old.

Two Walleye were captured (10.4 inches and 25 inches). Six Northern Pike were also captured with lengths ranging from 21.5 inches to 30.8 inches and averaging 24.7 inches.