Ban Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 69074200
DNR records show 9 stocking entries at Ban Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (194,500 fish).
- Ban Lake has 9 DNR stocking records across 9 years (2016-2025): walleye (9).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 2,586,500 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 10 ft; surface area 389 acres, 389 littoral acres, 7.3 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 5.1 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- St. Louis County, nearest town Orr; DNR lake number (DOW) 69074200.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 1/29/1941 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 194,500 | 2.1 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 194,500 | 1.7 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 194,500 | 1.9 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 194,500 | 1.8 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 194,500 | 2.1 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 400,000 | 4.1 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 400,000 | 4.6 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 414,000 | 3.9 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 400,000 | 4.0 |
Field note · Minnesota stocks by year, not by truck day: walleye fry go in within weeks of ice-out, fingerlings and yearlings mostly in fall, and stream trout in spring and fall. A row here means the fish went in during that year; DNR adds the year's rows after the fact, so the current year can look empty until winter.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| gravel ramp | Minnesota DNR | - currently under construction |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 22.56 | 203 | 0.27 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 2.56 | 23 | 0.28 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 6 | 3.31 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.80 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.11 |
| Golden shiner | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.09 |
| Largemouth bass | Open-water angling | 9.50 | 38 | 1.10 |
| Smallmouth bass | Open-water angling | 0.75 | 3 | 1.33 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 2.22 | 20 | 0.25 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 18 | 0.26 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 1.67 | 15 | 4.15 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 6 | 1.47 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 6 | 0.09 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 6 | 0.82 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 0.56 | 5 | 2.27 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 0.44 | 4 | 3.82 |
Catch per net (CPUE) is the DNR survey's count per gill net or trap net set; higher means more of that species were sampled, not a fishing forecast. Top species per gear shown; where we have no verified common name for a DNR code, the code itself is shown.
Ban Lake is located approximately seven miles east of Orr, Minnesota. This 389-acre lake has a maximum depth of 10 feet and dark tannin-stained water. A fisheries survey was completed on Ban Lake in 2025 as part of a regular rotation of surveys in the International Falls Fisheries Management Area. Ban Lake follows statewide regulations for inland waters. Northern Pike regulations follow the North-East zone regulation. Previous management plans identify several long-range goals, including providing a self-sustaining fish community with Walleye, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass and Bluegill as the primary management species. Walleye gill net catch rate was 0.44 fish per net, which was below average compared to similar lakes. The catch rate was below the management goal of at least 3.0 fish per net for Ban Lake. Total length ranged from 20.0 to 23.3 inches with an average length of 21.6 inches. Average weight was 3.8 pounds, which was above average compared to similar lakes due to only larger individuals being caught. Only two year-classes were present, and ages ranged from 6 to 7 years. Forty-eight Largemouth Bass were sampled during the survey. Total length ranged from 7.7 to 17.5 inches with an average length of 12.7 inches. Average length of Largemouth Bass at age 4 was 10.1 inches, a rate greater than other lakes in area. A total of six year-classes were present and ages ranged from 3 to 8 years. A strong year-class from 2019 was present and accounted for approximately 40% of the total catch. With good numbers of 12-to-17-inch Largemouth Bass, Ban Lake provides a good opportunity for anglers targeting Largemouth Bass. Smallmouth Bass catch rate was lower than Largemouth but large and healthy individuals were captured. Total length ranged from 11.9 to 16.7 inches with an average length of 14.2 inches. Average weight of Smallmouth Bass was 1.5 pounds, well above the average in the area. A total of five year-classes were present and ages ranged from 8 to 13 years. With good numbers of 12-to-16-inch Smallmouth Bass, Ban Lake provides a good opportunity for anglers targeting Smallmouth Bass. Bluegill trap net catch rate was 22.5 fish per net, which was well above average compared to similar lakes. Total length ranged from 3.8 to 9.2 inches with an average length of 6.7 inches. Average weight was 0.27 pounds, which was above average compared to similar lakes. A total of ten year-classes were present and ages ranged from 2 to 11 years. A strong year-class from 2017 was present and accounted for one-third of the total catch, mean length of these Bluegill was…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
All Minnesota stockings · every Minnesota lake with a page · state CSV · this lake on DNR LakeFinder
Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02; contours are the DNR bathymetric survey. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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