Fox

Itasca County

Near Marcell

DOW: 31046300

Northern PikeGood · 70PumpkinseedGood · 54Black CrappieGood · 53

A 262-acre lake near Marcell in Itasca County — best known for pike and panfish. Last surveyed 1987.

Fish Species (11)

Northern Pike

Good · 70

Typical numbers · large fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jul 1987

Last surveyed 1987 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

3.71 lbs

Catch rate: 4.0 per gill net · typical 3.5–8.9 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 27, 1987	4.00	-	3.71 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 27, 1987	0.17	-	0.80 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jul 1, 1974	5.33	-	4.50 lbs	Standard gill nets

Pumpkinseed

Good · 54

Typical numbers · average-size fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1987

Last surveyed 1987 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.17 lbs

Catch rate: 4.0 per trap net · typical 1.5–6.8 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 27, 1987	3.80	-	0.18 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 27, 1987	4.00	-	0.17 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jul 1, 1974	1.83	-	0.20 lbs	Standard gill nets

Black Crappie

Good · 53

Typical numbers · average-size fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1987

Last surveyed 1987 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.27 lbs

Catch rate: 2.5 per trap net · typical 0.8–4 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 27, 1987	1.40	-	0.40 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 27, 1987	2.50	-	0.27 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jul 1, 1974	1.67	-	0.15 lbs	Standard gill nets

Rock Bass

Good · 53

Typical numbers · average-size fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1987

Last surveyed 1987 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.20 lbs

Catch rate: 1.3 per trap net · typical 0.4–1.7 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 27, 1987	0.60	-	0.20 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 27, 1987	1.33	-	0.20 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jul 1, 1974	1.25	-	0.12 lbs	Standard trap nets

Smallmouth Bass

Good · 50

Average-size fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jul 1974

Last surveyed 1974 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

1.50 lbs

Catch rate: 0.17 per gill net · typical 0.5–3.1 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 1, 1974	0.17	-	1.50 lbs	Standard gill nets

Largemouth Bass

Good · 50

Large fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jul 1987

Last surveyed 1987 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

1.20 lbs

Catch rate: 0.8 per gill net · typical 0.4–1.6 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 27, 1987	0.80	-	1.20 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 27, 1987	0.67	-	0.10 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jul 1, 1974	0.50	-	0.33 lbs	Standard trap nets

Bluegill

Average · 37

Below-normal numbers · average-size fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1987

Last surveyed 1987 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.10 lbs

Catch rate: 7.8 per trap net · typical 9.5–57.3 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 27, 1987	6.40	-	0.14 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 27, 1987	7.83	-	0.10 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jul 1, 1974	19.25	-	0.09 lbs	Standard trap nets

Yellow Perch

Poor · 22

Below-normal numbers · average-size fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jul 1987

Last surveyed 1987 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.10 lbs

Catch rate: 0.2 per gill net · typical 1–10.3 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 27, 1987	1.17	-	0.10 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jul 27, 1987	0.20	-	0.10 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 1, 1974	0.50	-	0.20 lbs	Standard trap nets

Other species in this lake (3)

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

White Sucker

Good · 51

Typical numbers · average-size fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jul 1987

Last surveyed 1987 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

2.13 lbs

Catch rate: 0.6 per gill net · typical 0.3–1.7 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 27, 1987	0.60	-	2.13 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jul 1, 1974	1.00	-	1.62 lbs	Standard gill nets

Brown Bullhead

Average · 39

Below-normal numbers · large fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jul 1987

Last surveyed 1987 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

1.00 lbs

Catch rate: 0.17 per trap net · typical 0.6–2.6 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 27, 1987	0.17	-	1.00 lbs	Standard trap nets

Golden Shiner

Poor · 24

Below-normal numbers · average-size fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jul 1974

Last surveyed 1974 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.10 lbs

Catch rate: 0.17 per gill net · typical 0.5–1.5 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jul 1, 1974	0.17	-	0.10 lbs	Standard gill 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)

Smallmouth Bass

Season: Mar 1, 2026 – May 22, 2026

Smallmouth bass in the Southern and North-central zones

Catch-and-release only

Smallmouth Bass

Season: May 23, 2026 – Sep 13, 2026

Smallmouth bass in the Southern and North-central zones

6 combined total largemouth or smallmouth

Smallmouth Bass

Season: Sep 14, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027

Smallmouth bass in the Southern and North-central zones

Catch-and-release only

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

July 27, 1987NORTHERN CISCO, NORTHERN PIKE, AND PUMPKINSEED POPULATIONS ARE ABOVE MEDIANS BUT NORTHERN PIKE POPULATIONS HAVE GONE DOWN FROM THE 1974 AND 1980 SAMPL…

NORTHERN CISCO, NORTHERN PIKE, AND PUMPKINSEED POPULATIONS ARE ABOVE MEDIANS BUT NORTHERN PIKE POPULATIONS HAVE GONE DOWN FROM THE 1974 AND 1980 SAMPLING. WHITE SUCKER AND YELLOW PERCH POPULATIONS ARE BELOW MEDIANS AND THE PERCH POPU- LATION HAS GONE DOWN FROM 1974. ALL OTHER POPULA- TIONS APPEAR TO BE NORMAL AND HAVE LITTLE FLUCTU- ATIONS OVER THE YEARS.

July 1, 1974Fish 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 Fox?

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Northern Pike, Pumpkinseed, Black Crappie, Rock Bass, and Smallmouth Bass in Fox. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Is there public access at Fox?

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

How deep is Fox?

Fox has a maximum depth of 75 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

When were the main sport fish in Fox last surveyed?

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Fox is from 1987. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

Does Fox have any invasive species?

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

Are there special fishing regulations on Fox?

No — Fox 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.