Eagle Lake

Eagle Lake supports a sport fishery of statewide significance for landlocked salmon, lake trout, and brook trout . Of local significance, a popular hook-and-line smelt fishery exists in both winter and summer. Smelts also provide an extremely important forage species for salmon, lake trout and, to a lesser extent, brook trout. Although Lake Whitefish are listed as being present in the lake, the population is believed to be low and does not provide a sport fishery. Excellent habitat for natural reproduction is available to Eagle Lake salmon. The chief spawning areas are Nadeau Thoroughfare (outlet of St. Froid Lake), Eagle Lake Thoroughfare (outlet of Square Lake), and Eagle Lake outlet. It is still necessary to supplement the wild population with annual stocking. Many of the small inlet tributaries, in addition to the above mentioned thoroughfares, contain sui table spawning and nursery areas for the wild brook trout. Evidence indicates that lake trout are successfully reproducing in the wild. Periodic plantings of hatchery lake trout have been necessary to sustain the sport fishery, however. Water quality is excellent in Eagle Lake to support the coldwater fishery. Eagle Lake may in the future experience water quality degradation from upstream lakes. If water quality enhancement projects upstream are successful it is unlikely Eagle Lake will be negatively impacted. Should water quality degradation in upstream lakes continue unabated, the capacity of this lake to offer quality habitat will be compromised. Development on Eagle Lake is limited to the north arm on which is located the villages of Eagle Lake and Plaisted. More than one half of Eagle Lake's total length of nearly 18 miles, and almost 3/4 of the lake's 5,581 acres, are located within Bureau of Public Land boundaries in T16 R6. A public boat landing in the town of Eagle Lake affords access. Public and commercial picnic and beach areas are available in the developed arm of the lake. within the Public L9-nd's boundary are several water-access-only campsites and picnic areas.