Blue Lake (Aitkin County)

Aitkin County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data

Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 01018100

DNR records show 30 stocking entries at Blue Lake (Aitkin County) since 2016, most recently rainbow trout adults in 2025 (50 fish).

• Blue Lake (Aitkin County) has 30 DNR stocking records across 10 years (2016-2025): rainbow trout (29), splake (1).
• The most-stocked species by count is rainbow trout: 48,890 fish on record.
• Maximum depth 106 ft, mean depth 30 ft; surface area 54 acres, 14 littoral acres, 1.8 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
• Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 14.5 ft.
• Fish species DNR lists here: bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rainbow trout, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
• 1 public access on the DNR list.
• Most recent DNR fish survey: October 20, 2025 (standard survey).
• Aitkin County, nearest town Aitkin; DNR lake number (DOW) 01018100.

Stocking history

Public accesses

DNR fish survey, 2025

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.

Blue Lake is a two-story lake, able to support both cold-water and warm-water fish species, located in western Aitkin County two miles southwest of Aitkin. The lake has a surface area of 53 acres and maximum depth of 106 feet. The surrounding land is a mixture of rolling hills of mixed maple and oak hardwoods interspersed with wetlands. A carry-in public access is located on the south shore of the easternmost bay that requires a portage down a crushed rock path from the parking area and negotiating a steep bank with stairs near the lake. A standard survey was conducted on Blue Lake the week of 10/20/25 to assess the fishery. Blue Lake is stocked annually with Rainbow Trout yearlings in spring (4000) and in fall (900) to provide a put-and-take fishery for anglers, but is not a designated stream trout lake. Additionally, larger surplus brood stock Trout are often stocked when they are available from the hatcheries. In addition to the Rainbow Trout fishery, Splake (Brook Trout x Lake Trout hybrid) were stocked in spring 2025 to supplement a statewide shortage of Kamloop strain Rainbow Trout. Anglers can fish the lake following standard angling license requirements but can only harvest Trout if they possess a Trout stamp validation. Kamloop Rainbow Trout have been stocked since 2011, but as of 2025, Kamloop strain production has been discontinued, and Arlee strain Rainbow Trout will be stocked going forward. Rainbows are currently stocked in the spring and fall as catchable-sized fish that usually range from 9 - 11 inches. By fall, most spring-stocked fish have grown to 11 - 14 inches. Blue Lake can provide some good fishing in both the open water and ice fishing seasons, including from shore, which is a unique opportunity for the Aitkin area. Only one Rainbow Trout was captured in gill nets during the 2025 survey, and no Trout were captured in trap nets. The lone Rainbow Trout sampled was 17.0 inches long. Catch rates of other species sampled in gill nets and trap nets were minimal, with Bluegill, Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Pumpkinseed, and Yellow Bullhead all captured at a rate of less than 2.0 per net, regardless of gear type. Other notable captures included a 34.5 and 36.0 inch Northern Pike, an 8.6 inch Bluegill, and a 17.4 inch Largemouth Bass, indicating some fish in Blue Lake are reaching preferred and memorable sizes. It is unclear as to why more Rainbow Trout or Splake were not captured. In August 2025, a temperature and oxygen profile was collected, along with the temperature at 3 mg/l dissolved oxygen (TDO3) to determine…

Minnesota DNR survey narrative, October 20, 2025.

All Minnesota stockings · every Minnesota lake with a page · state CSV · this lake on DNR LakeFinder