Preserving the water, wildlife, and natural aesthetic of Turtle Lake

MAY 23 (10 AM)

This year’s annual Highway 38 clean up will be Saturday, May 23, starting at 10 a.m. This usually takes about an hour. Volunteers are asked to meet at the far end of the Timberwolf parking lot to obtain vests, trash bags, and a road section assignment. Bug repellent, gloves, and hats are recommended. Trash grab sticks are also available. Please contact John Hanson at jkhpolish2@gmail.com or 218-355-1040 if you can participate.

JUN 27 (10 AM)

Please join us for our annual meeting on Saturday, June 27, 2026 at 10 a.m. at the Marcell Family Center!

The meeting will include a treasurer’s report, secretary’s report, board member elections for two positions, and various committee reports. Our speaker this year will be Deputy Sheriff Jorgan Harshbarger, our new area sheriff. Following the meeting will be a light lunch catered by the Pine Cone Cafe of Marcell.

If you are at the lake that weekend, please consider attending the meeting. You are also encouraged to invite any neighbors at the lake to come and meet other Turtle Lakers. There will also be terrific door prizes!

JULY 4

Join us for this year’s annual July 4th boat parade!

Every year, TLA holds a boat parade where members and guests are encouraged to decorate their boats and follow the parade route. We meet on the east side of the big bay in front of John Hanson’s place at 12:30 p.m. on July 4th. The boat decorations will be judged and trophies awarded. Then the parade gets underway at 1 p.m. The parade lasts about one hour and ends north of Arcadia Resort. Many of our neighbors watch the parade from shore. To not disappoint those watchers, if you are in the parade, please consider staying until the end.

It is not necessary to decorate your boat to participate, but for safety reasons, no pull-behind craft or jet skis, please.

Traveling trophies are awarded to members in two categories: Patriotic and Creative. In addition to bragging rights, the winners retain the trophy for the entire year until shortly before the next year’s event, at which time the trophy is returned to the board.

See you on the 4th!

AUG 8

Starry Trek is a day when volunteers across Minnesota work together to search for new infestations of a very troublesome Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS), starry stonewort. It’s a great activity to participate in with family, friends, and neighbors!

Participants meet at a local site to receive a brief training on how to identify starry stonewort. Then they are sent out to nearby lakes to take samples and bring back any suspicious organisms. Starry Trek is a free event but registration is required. No experience or special equipment is necessary to participate. Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

We hope you’ll join us this year!

Click here for more information.

Registration opens July 1, 2026.

MAY 9 to SEPT 7

If you’re under 18 and have a family member who is a TLA member, you can enter TLA’s Youth Catch & Release Fishing Contest to win great prizes!

To enter, just catch, photograph, and release a fish from Turtle Lake from opening weekend through Labor Day (Saturday, May 9th through Monday, September 7th, 2026).

All participants will get a prize package for entering, and one lucky entrant will be selected by our committee to win the grand prize package for the season. The grand prize winner will be selected after reviewing all submissions for the season, and the selection process will take into account factors like fish size, fish species, and creativity of the photo.

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 with the following: 

1. Your name and age 
2. The name of your relative who is a member of TLA 
3. The date of the catch/release 
4. The length of your fish (optional)
5. Most importantly, your photo with the fish.

Questions? Email fish@turtlelakeassociation.org.
Have fun, and good luck fishing!

CLICK HERE FOR CONTEST ENTRY FORM