Turtle Lake Association

12/16/2025

Winter on Turtle Lake definitely has its moments. 🌅

09/04/2025

Congrats to the talented youth anglers who entered the Turtle Lake Association Youth Catch and Release Contest this year!

Some highlights:
- Jack Crowley submitted the biggest fish of the summer: a 20” smallmouth bass! Jack actually entered a 19.5” smallmouth—the second biggest fish entered—then passed his own leading entry with a giant 20-incher!
- Clark Hagberg entered an 18” largemouth bass as the first fish of the contest!
- The month of June was good to anglers Jace Hanson and Simon Tieden, who both submitted nice bass.
- July saw the greatest diversity of fish species, including Charles Brown with a Smallmouth, Anna Brown with a bluegill, and Tyler Brown with a rock bass!
- August was no slouch when it came to bass fishing either, as shown by the smallmouth bass submitted by both Henry Wells and George Wells!

Thanks to all of our youth who practiced catch and release! We look forward to seeing you on the lake again next summer!

07/22/2025

The Turtle Lake loon count was conducted on July 11th, and 26 adults and 4 juveniles were observed this year.

Historical loon counts:
2024: 28 adults and 9 juveniles
2023: 23 adults and 11 juveniles
2022: 29 adults and 6 juveniles

Big thanks to Don and Diane Ostlie for doing the count!

07/01/2025

Reminder that new legislation takes effect today—stay safe on the water!

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/06/15/some-minnesota-boaters-will-need-safety-training-permit-starting-july-1?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwLQ2ERleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHmNoMfWcvB92J1zbzSleQ1_9bmRoGWwmFCkR7P8s4tTA4k7ZXjnzD8rF0JQM_aem_8_rN2u9Ic1PYEZW502sERQ

The new law aims to educate boaters about safety and environmental impacts, including preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species and shoreline erosion.

06/14/2025

New Minnesota boating laws go into effect July 1st, 2025–don’t be caught unaware!

For more information, check out the MN DNR’s summary of changes here:

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources provides links to boating and water safety information, such as the Minnesota Boating Guide, which summarizes the state's boat laws and regulations.

05/27/2025

Check out the upcoming show at the Edge Center for the Arts in Bigfork, MN featuring the work of TLA member and renowned photographer Lee Kjos! The show runs from 6/5/25 through 7/3/25, don’t miss it!

Edge Center for the Arts

05/26/2025

Here’s to hoping everyone had a safe Memorial Day weekend and got out to enjoy the lake!

05/08/2025

The 2025 Youth Catch & Release Fishing Contest is right around the corner!If you’re under 18 and have a family member who is a TLA member, you can enter to win great prizes.

This year’s contest will feature a new prize for the first entry received once the contest starts—get out there early! We will also have a grand prize for the biggest bass entered (either smallmouth or largemouth) and a prize for the most spectacular fish entered that is not a bass.

To enter, just catch, measure, photograph, and release a fish from Turtle Lake from opening weekend through Labor Day (Saturday May 10th through Monday September 1st, 2025).

Participants can enter fish in four categories this year:

1. Grand Champion Bass (smallmouth and largemouth)
2. Grand Champion Other Fish (any species other than bass, winner judged by contest director)
3. First fish of 2025 entered in the contest (must be caught on or after May 10th, 2025)
4. Monthly random winners for fish entered in June, July, and August

Participation prizes for all entrants will be mailed out once their first entry is received, limit one participation prize per contestant for the year. Entries for participation prizes can be any species out of Turtle Lake, and you do not have to measure the fish to get a participation prize–measurements are only required for the Grand Champion categories above.

Please practice good catch and release skills and minimize the time the fish is out of the water before releasing it. Keep the fish wet and don’t lay any fish on the ground or put the fish on a stringer before you release it. Let’s keep these fish healthy!

To enter, submit your online entry form on the website at turtlelakeassociation.org/

09/17/2024

The 2024 Turtle Lake Association youth catch and release contest has concluded, and we had some phenomenal entries this year! Congratulations to all who participated!

Some of the highlights: (pictures, in order)
- Colin Michaelis with a monster 20.25” smallmouth bass!
- Jacob Reed with a 17.125” largemouth bass!
- Abby Wagner with an awesome 17” smallmouth!
- Blake Michaelis dominating the species contest with a whopping seven species submitted!!!
- Simon Tieden with the most smallmouth bass submitted this summer, including this beautiful 15 incher!

Thanks to all who participated! Prizes for our entrants will be in the mail soon. Until next year!

03/31/2024

If you’re thinking about an ultra-early ice out on Turtle Lake this year, prepare to be disappointed. While we had an exceedingly late freeze over this year and an incredibly mild winter, the recent snow is making the lake ice hang on. As of today, at least in this area of the lake, there is roughly 11 inches of variable-quality ice with 2-3 inches of water on top of it from the weight of the recent snow.

With the right weather it could still all melt quickly, but it’s got quite a ways to go yet. That said, it is not high quality ice and it is highly variable across the lake—recommend staying off the ice at this point. This is a very dangerous time of year on the ice, especially for people who try to take snowmobiles and ATVs out on the ice; it’s just not worth it.

Spring will come soon enough, but open water is definitely not upon us yet. Think warm thoughts! ☀️

12/22/2023

Ice report for December 21, 2023: where’s the ice?

It’s the winter solstice but it’s not feeling much like winter yet. Most of the north end of Turtle Lake remains open. With the mild temperatures this season, please use extreme caution if you choose to venture out on any ice on the local lakes. ⚠️

In any case, Happy Solstice! ☀️❄️

10/28/2023

It was confirmed by the DNR earlier this week that Turtle Lake is infested with zebra mussels. This sign designating the lake as infested waters is now posted at the public access. The DNR has not released any further information to the public yet but are preparing a press release.

Property owners on Turtle Lake will be receiving a letter from Itasca County SWCD with more information as well.

Please remember to clean boats and other watercraft of all debris, plants, and mud, drain live wells, bilges, and ballast tanks, and have all docks and lifts inspected and out of the water for at least three weeks before moving them to a new body of water.