Bear Head Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 69025400
DNR records show 5 stocking entries at Bear Head Lake since 2017, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (175,000 fish).
- Bear Head Lake has 5 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2017-2025): walleye (5).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 900,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 46 ft; surface area 662 acres, 371 littoral acres, 12.1 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 12.2 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- St. Louis County, nearest town Tower; DNR lake number (DOW) 69025400.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 8/17/1960 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 175,000 | 1.9 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 175,000 | 1.8 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 175,000 | 1.9 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 200,000 | 2.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 175,000 | 1.6 |
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | Access through Bear Head Lake State Park on NW bay of lake. A park permit is required. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 50-ft beach seine | 64.00 | 128 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | 50-ft beach seine | 14.00 | 28 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | 50-ft beach seine | 3.00 | 6 | 0.00 |
| Northern pike | 50-ft beach seine | 0.50 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Black crappie | 50-ft beach seine | 0.50 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 25.07 | 351 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 10.93 | 153 | 0.00 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 1.50 | 21 | 0.00 |
| Black crappie | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 0.64 | 9 | 0.00 |
| Northern pike | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 0.21 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Green sunfish | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 0.21 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Golden shiner | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 0.07 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Walleye | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 0.07 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | Backpack electrofishing | 13.62 | 32 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | Backpack electrofishing | 8.09 | 19 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | Backpack electrofishing | 0.85 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Green sunfish | Backpack electrofishing | 0.85 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Backpack electrofishing | 0.85 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | 15-ft beach seine | 8.57 | 60 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | 15-ft beach seine | 3.29 | 23 | 0.00 |
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.
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Bear Head Lake, was conducted on July 28-July 30, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment Program (LBMA) staff. Nearshore sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing, mini-fyke nets, and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing and 1/8" mesh mini-fyke net were completed at 14 sampling stations. Additionally, a 50-foot seine was used to sample two stations and a 15-foot seine was used at seven stations . These seine stations were completed in non-standard locations to help with sampling efforts and ensure varied habitat types. Nearshore sampling captured nine species of fish. The nearshore data along with gill net and standard trap net data will be used to develop fish community models for Northeast Minnesota lakes, which will be used to measure lake health in this region. These models may function similarly to fish IBI models developed for lakes across much of the rest of the state. For additional information, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. You can help protect the fish community in Bear Head Lake by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
All Minnesota stockings · every Minnesota lake with a page · state CSV · this lake on DNR LakeFinder
Hear when the states we cover post stockings
One email a week in season: which waters in the states we cover were stocked, straight from the state agencies' own postings. No spam, no fishing-gear ads in the mail.
Free · double opt-in · unsubscribe anytime · we store only your email.