Boys Lake
Cook County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 16004400
DNR records show 5 stocking entries at Boys Lake since 2017, most recently brook trout fingerlings in 2025 (2,000 fish).
- Boys Lake has 5 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2017-2025): brook trout (5).
- The most-stocked species by count is brook trout: 9,668 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 13 ft, mean depth 5 ft; surface area 24 acres, 24 littoral acres, 1.0 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 6.4 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: brook trout, splake, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Cook County, nearest town Grand Marais; DNR lake number (DOW) 16004400.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Brook Trout | fingerlings | 2,000 | 79.9 |
| 2023 | Brook Trout | fingerlings | 1,665 | 39.8 |
| 2021 | Brook Trout | fingerlings | 2,000 | 61.4 |
| 2019 | Brook Trout8 | fingerlings | 2,003 | 59.3 |
| 2017 | Brook Trout8 | fingerlings | 2,000 | 35.1 |
8 fish cooperatively purchased, raised, and/or stocked by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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 | 0.3 mile carry-in trail from a gravel pit at the east end of Mink Lake, accessed by the Mink Lake Camp road off Forest Road 140 (Trout Lake Road). |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brook trout | Standard gill nets | 8.00 | 16 | 0.59 |
| Splake | Standard gill nets | 1.50 | 3 | 0.96 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 2 | 0.43 |
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.
Boys Lake is a small, 24-acre lake with a maximum depth of 13.0 feet located 10 miles northeast of Grand Marais. Access to the lake is considered moderate, with a short 0.25-mile portage from Mink Lake. Water temperatures and dissolved oxygen concentrations in Boys Lake have supported conditions that are suitable for stocked trout during the summertime. Boys Lake is currently managed for brook trout and is stocked with 2,000 fingerlings during the fall of odd-numbered years. The long-range goal for brook trout is to maintain a minimum gillnet catch of 1.5 fish/net with fish greater than 12.0 inches present. In 2025, a standard survey was conducted on Boys Lake to monitor the fishery and determine if brook trout catches were meeting management objectives. The 2025 catch rate from gillnets was average for the lake at 8.0 fish/net and was above the management goal for the lake. Brook trout lengths ranged from 6.6 to 15.4 inches, with an average length of 11.0 inches. Additionally, nearly half of the catch was greater than 12.0 inches and met the size goal for the lake, providing anglers with the opportunity to catch harvestable sized brook trout. Age analysis found two year classes present (age two and four) from the 2023 and 2021 stocking events, and show that brook trout are able to survive multiple years in Boys Lake. Brook trout growth in Boys Lake was below average, taking fish four years to reach 13.7 inches on average. Habitats were marginal for brook trout in late summer, with only a small portion of the water column that was cold enough to support brook trout; however, oxygen was not limiting. Anglers looking to fish Boys Lake can expect moderate catch rates of brook trout within a short drive from Grand Marais. Other species caught during the survey included splake and yellow perch. The splake catch rate was low, but sizes were desired by most anglers, with an average size of 14.5 inches. Yellow perch catches were also low; however, both fish caught were mature and may indicate a reproducing population within the lake. Continued increases in the yellow perch population may cause adverse effects on the stocked trout fishery in Boys Lake. Both splake and yellow perch likely migrated into Boys Lake from downstream Mink Lake and indicate a need to stop fish passage between these two systems. Minnesota Lakes within Cook County continue to be susceptible to aquatic invasive species introductions. Invasive species have the potential to significantly alter fish communities and overall lake health. Anglers should clean watercraft and fishing gear, drain…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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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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