Plantation

Itasca County

Near Alder

DOW: 31043900

Northern PikeExcellent · 76BluegillGood · 59Largemouth BassGood · 50

A 87-acre lake near Alder in Itasca County — best known for pike and panfish. Last surveyed 1990.

Fish Species (12)

Northern Pike

Excellent · 76

Above-normal numbers · large fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jun 1990

Last surveyed 1990 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

2.70 lbs

Catch rate: 12.3 per gill net · typical 2.8–8.7 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jun 13, 1990	1.00	-	2.75 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jun 13, 1990	12.33	-	2.70 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 19, 1978	0.50	-	0.75 lbs	Standard trap nets

Bluegill

Good · 59

Typical numbers · average-size fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jun 1990

Last surveyed 1990 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.15 lbs

Catch rate: 26.8 per trap net · typical 5.7–40.5 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jun 13, 1990	26.75	-	0.15 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jun 13, 1990	4.00	-	0.08 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 19, 1978	9.75	-	0.12 lbs	Standard trap nets

Largemouth Bass

Good · 50

Large fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jun 1990

Last surveyed 1990 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

2.67 lbs

Catch rate: 1.0 per gill net · typical 0.3–1.5 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jun 13, 1990	1.00	-	2.67 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 19, 1978	0.75	-	2.67 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jul 19, 1978	0.50	-	3.50 lbs	Standard gill nets

Pumpkinseed

Average · 49

Typical numbers · average-size fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jun 1990

Last surveyed 1990 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.13 lbs

Catch rate: 2.5 per trap net · typical 1.3–6.3 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jun 13, 1990	2.50	-	0.13 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jul 19, 1978	1.25	-	0.20 lbs	Standard trap nets

Yellow Perch

Average · 38

Typical numbers · small fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jun 1990

Last surveyed 1990 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.07 lbs

Catch rate: 5.0 per gill net · typical 1.5–23 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jun 13, 1990	0.25	-	0.10 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jun 13, 1990	5.00	-	0.07 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 19, 1978	0.25	-	0.30 lbs	Standard trap nets

Rock Bass

Average · 35

Typical numbers · small fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jun 1990

Last surveyed 1990 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.15 lbs

Catch rate: 0.5 per trap net · typical 0.5–2.8 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jun 13, 1990	0.50	-	0.15 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jul 19, 1978	0.50	-	0.25 lbs	Standard trap nets

Black Crappie

Average · 31

Typical numbers · small fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jun 1990

Last surveyed 1990 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.10 lbs

Catch rate: 0.67 per gill net · typical 0.5–2.9 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jun 13, 1990	0.50	-	0.50 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jun 13, 1990	0.67	-	0.10 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 19, 1978	1.00	-	0.25 lbs	Standard gill nets

Other species in this lake (5)

Rough fish, bullheads, and baitfish recorded in DNR surveys — present in the lake, but not typical angling targets.

Black Bullhead

Average · 49

Average-size fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jun 1990

Last surveyed 1990 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.30 lbs

Catch rate: 0.33 per gill net · typical 0.5–11 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jun 13, 1990	0.33	-	0.30 lbs	Standard gill nets

White Sucker

Average · 41

Typical numbers · small fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jul 1978

Last surveyed 1978 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

1.00 lbs

Catch rate: 1.0 per gill net · typical 0.5–2.9 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 19, 1978	1.00	-	1.00 lbs	Standard gill nets

Yellow Bullhead

Poor · 17

Below-normal numbers · small fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jun 1990

Last surveyed 1990 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.15 lbs

Catch rate: 0.5 per trap net · typical 1–8.4 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jun 13, 1990	0.50	-	0.15 lbs	Standard trap nets

Brown Bullhead

Poor · 15

Below-normal numbers · small fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jun 1990

Last surveyed 1990 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.10 lbs

Catch rate: 0.25 per trap net · typical 0.5–2.2 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jun 13, 1990	0.25	-	0.10 lbs	Standard trap nets

Golden Shiner

Insufficient

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jun 1990

Last surveyed 1990 — treat with caution

Catch rate: 0.25 per trap net · typical 0.2–1.5 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jun 13, 1990	0.25	-	-	Standard trap nets

See the best northern pike lakes in Minnesota

Fishing Regulations

Statewide limits

Standard statewide Minnesota limits for the species in this lake.

Northern Pike

Season: May 9, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027

North-central zone

Angling: 10 (not more than 2 over 26". All from 22-26" must be immediatley released).

Largemouth Bass

Season: Mar 1, 2026 – May 22, 2026

Largemouth bass in the Southern and North-central zones

Catch-and-release only

Largemouth Bass

Season: May 23, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027

Largemouth bass in the Southern and North-central zones

6 combined total largemouth or smallmouth (when smallmouth season is open)

Crappie

10 combined total

Sunfish

20 combined total

Perch

20 daily and 40 in possession

More statewide rules (spearing, rough fish)

Northern Pike

Season: Nov 15, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027

North-central zone

Darkhouse spearing: 10 (only 1 between 22-26" and 1 over 26"; or, only 2 over 26").

Rock Bass

Bowfin, buffalo, carp, carpsuckers, freshwater drum, goldeneye, redhorse, and suckers

no limit

Bullhead

100

Biologist Notes

June 13, 1990AN INCREASE WAS OBSERVED IN THE ABUNDANCE OF NORTHERN PIKE FROM A GILLNET CPUE OF 5.0 IN 1978 TO 12.3 IN THIS ASSESSMENT. A POSSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR T…

AN INCREASE WAS OBSERVED IN THE ABUNDANCE OF NORTHERN PIKE FROM A GILLNET CPUE OF 5.0 IN 1978 TO 12.3 IN THIS ASSESSMENT. A POSSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR THIS INCREASE IS AN INCREASE IS AN INCREASE IN WATER LEVELS THAT HAS OCCURRED OVER THE PAST, IMPROVING SPAWNING HABITAT FOR NORTHERN PIKE. BLUEGILL ABUNDANCE HAS INCREASED FROM A GILLNET CPUE OF 9.8 IN THE 1978 SURVEY TO 26.8 IN THIS ASSESSMENT. GROWTH RATES ARE CONSIDERED VERY SLOW ESPECIALLY IN THE EARLY YEARS OF GROWTH. A SAMPLE OF 13 BLUEGILLS HAD A MEAN LENGTH AT AGE 3 OF 3.4.

July 19, 1978Fish population appears to be within normal limits for this type of lake.

Fish population appears to be within normal limits for this type of lake.

Frequently Asked Questions

What fish can you catch in Plantation?

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Northern Pike, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, and Yellow Perch in Plantation. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Is there public access at Plantation?

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Plantation. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

How deep is Plantation?

Plantation has a maximum depth of 35 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

When were the main sport fish in Plantation last surveyed?

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Plantation is from 1990. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

Does Plantation have any invasive species?

No invasive species are on record for Plantation in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.

Are there special fishing regulations on Plantation?

No — Plantation has no lake-specific regulations in the 2026 Minnesota DNR regulations, so statewide Minnesota limits apply. The statewide sunfish limit is: 20 combined total. Verify current rules with the Minnesota DNR before keeping fish.