Bone Lake (Lake County)
Lake County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 38006500
DNR records show 15 stocking entries at Bone Lake (Lake County) since 2016, most recently rainbow trout yearlings in 2025 (1,000 fish).
- Bone Lake (Lake County) has 15 DNR stocking records across 10 years (2016-2025): rainbow trout (10), splake (5).
- The most-stocked species by count is splake: 18,200 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 51 ft, mean depth 18 ft; surface area 43 acres, 25 littoral acres, 1.9 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 7.7 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: rainbow trout, splake, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Lake County, nearest town Tofte; DNR lake number (DOW) 38006500.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,000 | 357.1 |
| 2024 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,000 | 344.8 |
| 2024 | Splake | fingerlings | 3,500 | 110.2 |
| 2023 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,000 | 333.3 |
| 2022 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,000 | 333.3 |
| 2022 | Splake | fingerlings | 3,800 | 103.8 |
| 2021 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,000 | 357.1 |
| 2021 | Splake | fingerlings | 3,900 | 100.3 |
| 2020 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,000 | 344.8 |
| 2019 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,000 | 333.3 |
| 2018 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,000 | 370.4 |
| 2018 | Splake | fingerlings | 3,500 | 160.6 |
| 2017 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,000 | 333.3 |
| 2016 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,000 | 363.6 |
| 2016 | Splake | fingerlings | 3,500 | 79.5 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| CA | USF | Approximately 3 miles northeast of the Windy Lake access road on Lake Co. #7. There is a parking area for the access trail, then take trail 0.8 mile (east) through old logging site. Trail leads to the far western tip of the lake. - Access trail goes 0.8 mile (east) through old logging site. Trail leads to the far western tip of the lake. |
| earthen ramp | USF | From Lake Co. Rd. #7, go northeast 2.6 mi. on USFS Rd. #170, then north 8.2 miles on USFS Rd. #348. Access is 3.5 miles past Whitefish Lake campground. The road past Whitefish lake is rough. - Earthen access off USFS Road #348. Access is 3.5 miles past Whitefish Lake campground. The road past Whitefish Lake is rough. Parking for a few vehicles. |
DNR fish survey, 2023
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 20.00 | 80 | 0.36 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 8.75 | 35 | 0.38 |
| Golden shiner | Standard gill nets | 0.25 | 1 | 0.09 |
| Splake | Standard gill nets | 0.25 | 1 | 0.46 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 11.20 | 112 | 0.35 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 8.30 | 83 | 0.20 |
| Golden shiner | Standard trap nets | 0.50 | 5 | 0.06 |
| Splake | Standard trap nets | 0.40 | 4 | 0.67 |
| Rainbow trout | Standard trap nets | 0.20 | 2 | 0.54 |
| Creek chub | Standard trap nets | 0.10 | 1 | 0.18 |
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.
Bone Lake is a designated trout lake located in Lake County about 16 miles north of Tofte. The public access has an earthen ramp with limited parking off US Forest Service 348 approximately 3.5 north of Whitefish Lake Rustic Campground. The road is minimally maintained, and a high clearance vehicle is recommended. Currently, the lake is stocked with catchable sized Rainbow Trout yearlings each spring and fingerling Splake in the fall of even-numbered years. Trout catch was low for the second consecutive survey in 2023. Still, results did confirm that trout can survive potentially stressful periods during summer and winter to provide angling opportunities. Yellow Perch catch has increased in the two surveys completed since first being sampled and may be impacting growth and survival of trout. The lake will continue to be monitored regularly to determine if changes need to be made to stocking size or frequency.
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. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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