Big Lake (Carlton County)
Carlton County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 09003200
DNR records show 1 stocking entry at Big Lake (Carlton County) since 2016, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2016 (14,520 fish).
- Big Lake (Carlton County) has 1 DNR stocking record across 1 year (2016-2016): walleye (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 14,520 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 25 ft, mean depth 8 ft; surface area 526 acres, 440 littoral acres, 8.1 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 13.2 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Carlton County, nearest town Sawyer; DNR lake number (DOW) 09003200.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/5/1967 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 14,520 | 206.5 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | - State owned concrete ramp on NW side of lake off County Rd 112. |
DNR fish survey, 2020
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 15.00 | 135 | 0.07 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 3.44 | 31 | 0.30 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 3.22 | 29 | 0.19 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.67 | 15 | 0.09 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 1.11 | 10 | 1.08 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 0.08 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 1.46 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 12.44 | 112 | 1.93 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 6.22 | 56 | 0.16 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 4.33 | 39 | 0.11 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 2.22 | 20 | 0.15 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard gill nets | 1.78 | 16 | 0.16 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.44 | 13 | 1.23 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 6 | 0.14 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.91 |
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.
Big Lake is a 526-acre lake located near Sawyer, Minnesota with 84% (440 acres) littoral area and a maximum depth of 25 feet. A DNR administered, concrete, back-in access is located off County Road #112. Largemouth Bass and Bluegill are the primary management species. Big was last surveyed in 2013. Big was surveyed during the summer of 2020 to update information about fish populations. Spring Largemouth Bass sampling was suspended during the 2020 due to the pandemic. Previous spring Largemouth Bass electrofishing assessments have shown a robust Largemouth Bass population in Big Lake. Largemouth Bass gillnet abundance of 1.4 per lift was above average compared to other similar Minnesota lakes. The proportion of adult Largemouth Bass captured in gillnets that exceeded preferred size (greater than 15 inches) was 38%. Bluegill abundance of 15.0 per trapnet lift was up from 2013 (6.8) and average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Bluegill average length was 4.5 inches and growth was slow compared to other Duluth Area lakes. One large specimen over nine inches long was captured in the gillnets. Northern Pike abundance of 12.4 per gillnet lift was up from 2013 (11.4) and above average compared to other similar Minnesota lakes. Average length was 20.0 inches and growth was slow compared to other Duluth Area lakes. The proportion of adult Northern Pike captured that exceeded preferred size (greater than 28 inches) was 9%, while the proportion that exceeded memorable size (greater than 34 inches) was 1%. Black Crappie abundance of 3.2 per trapnet lift was down from 2013 (5.6) and average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Black Crappie average length was 7.0 inches and growth was slow compared to other Duluth Area lakes.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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