Blandin Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 31053300
DNR records show 8 stocking entries at Blandin Lake since 2016, most recently muskellunge yearlings in 2025 (56 fish).
- Blandin Lake has 8 DNR stocking records across 7 years (2016-2025): muskellunge (5), walleye (3).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 531,472 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 38 ft; surface area 490 acres, 366 littoral acres, 12.3 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 11.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, and 1 more.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Itasca County, nearest town Grand Rapids; DNR lake number (DOW) 31053300.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Muskellunge | yearlings | 56 | 34.8 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 300,000 | 2.8 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 225,000 | 2.2 |
| 2021 | Muskellunge | adults | 13 | 26.0 |
| 2019 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 366 | 86.1 |
| 2017 | Muskellunge | adults | 91 | 303.3 |
| 2016 | Muskellunge | adults | 90 | 219.5 |
| 2016 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 6,472 | 365.9 |
2 fish purchased by the DNR for stocking.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| earthen ramp | Minnesota DNR | DNR-administered access at Isaac Walton Park on County Road 63. |
| concrete ramp | city | Sylvan Bay access. |
DNR fish survey, 2023
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 3.89 | 35 | 0.15 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 3.56 | 32 | 0.32 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 2.56 | 23 | 0.17 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 2.44 | 22 | 1.95 |
| Shorthead redhorse | Standard gill nets | 1.67 | 15 | 2.20 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.33 | 12 | 1.28 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 9 | 0.36 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 9 | 0.35 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 2.56 | 23 | 0.09 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 2.00 | 18 | 0.18 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.89 | 8 | 1.46 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 6 | 0.14 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 5.05 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 0.88 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 0.50 |
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.
Blandin Reservoir is a 449 acre impoundment on the Mississippi River, which is controlled by a dam at the Blandin Paper Company in Grand Rapids, MN. The reservoir has minimal storage capacity and functions more as a flow-through system, minimizing water level fluctuations. The reservoir has a high percentage of shallow water containing an abundance of wood and wild rice. The 2013 management plan lists Walleye, Bluegill, and Black Crappie as primary management species. Muskellunge and Largemouth Bass were listed as secondary management species. Walleye fingerling stocking was discontinued in 2017. Catches for Bluegill and Black Crappie were lower than lakes with similar habitat. The low number of fish generally sampled suggests mid-summer test netting is a poor method of sampling and catch rates are not a true indicator of relative abundance. Anecdotal reports suggest fair numbers of panfish are caught at times, especially in the winter. The Walleye catch was modest, especially considering lakes like Blandin are not known to produce an abundance of Walleye. The sampled fish were young, averaging 13 inches and assumed to be from natural reproduction. Angling opportunities appear favorable, especially seasonally. The Northern Pike catch was lower than the expected range for lakes with similar habitat, yet similar to previous surveys. Low catches are generally desirable as its often associated with quality size structure. However, as in previous surveys, size structure was poor. Sampled fish ranged from 15.6 to 29.3 inches and averaged 21 inches. Fish within the protected slot (22-26 inches) of the North-central zone regulation comprised 29% of the sample. Angling opportunities for bass are likely favorable at times. Largemouth Bass are not sampled well with nets and only a few were sampled in 2023. Electrofishing in 2013 had a moderately high rate. A modest gill net sample of Smallmouth Bass indicated a decent size structure with fish up to 17 inches sampled. Other species sampled included Bowfin, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Rockbass, Shorthead Redhorse, White Sucker, Yellow Bullhead and Yellow Perch.
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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