Buck Lake (Itasca County)
Itasca County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 31006900
DNR records show 3 stocking entries at Buck Lake (Itasca County) since 2018, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2024 (5,580 fish).
- Buck Lake (Itasca County) has 3 DNR stocking records across 3 years (2018-2024): walleye (3).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 13,320 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 31 ft; surface area 495 acres, 180 littoral acres, 4.9 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 10.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Itasca County, nearest town Nashwauk; DNR lake number (DOW) 31006900.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 5,580 | 180.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 3,960 | 180.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 3,780 | 180.0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | DOT | DOT-owned access at southwest corner of lake off State Highway 65. |
DNR fish survey, 2023
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 12.00 | 108 | 0.16 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 8.22 | 74 | 1.70 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 7.78 | 70 | 0.36 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 3.44 | 31 | 0.16 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 3.11 | 28 | 2.34 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 2.56 | 23 | 0.99 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.78 | 7 | 0.94 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 0.56 | 5 | 2.12 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 8.44 | 76 | 0.09 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 2.11 | 19 | 0.36 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.89 | 17 | 0.19 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 1.22 | 11 | 1.11 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 6 | 2.21 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 0.25 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 0.26 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 1.76 |
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.
Buck Lake is a shallow, productive lake located north of Nashwauk, MN in the Mississippi River watershed. The lake is highly developed and has a small public access on the southwest side of the lake. Buck Lake supports a variety of species of aquatic vegetation with good habitat for panfish and Largemouth Bass. The 2014 lake management plan (LMP) listed Black Crappie and Largemouth Bass as a primary management species, with Walleye as a secondary management species. The goals were to maintain a catch of 2.0 Black Crappie/net, a Largemouth Bass electrofishing catch of 50/h, and provide a bonus Walleye fishery. A standard survey using 9 gill nets and 9 trap nets was conducted in August 2023 to assess the fishery. Black Crappie catches have fluctuated substantially from a low of 0.3 in 1991 to a high of 25.6/net in 1976. The 2023 catch of 7.8/net was the second highest on record and exceeded the LMP goal. The sampled crappie ranged from 4.9 to 12.2 inches and averaged 8.4 inches. Multiple good year-classes were observed with fish ranging from age 1 to 11. Growth was generally slow compared to other lakes with similar habitat. Fish averaged 9.3 inches after five years of growth. Black Crappie likely provide good fishing when strong year-classes reach a size anglers desire. Largemouth Bass are most effectively sampled with spring, night electrofishing but due to the late spring and staff shortages, it was not conducted in 2023. The gill-net catches have generally ranged from 1.1 to 2.4/net since 1976. The 2023 catch was 2.6/gill net. The sampled fish ranged from 5.8 to 18.3 inches and averaged 11.3 inches. Six year-classes from age 1 to age 6 were identified from the fish less than 15.0 inches. Growth was somewhat slow compared to the statewide average. Walleye habitat in Buck Lake is limited so the management goal is to provide a bonus fishery. Various management strategies have been attempted to create a fishery. The 2023 survey evaluated a period of stocking 1 lb of Walleye fingerlings/littoral acre every third year, beginning in 2015. The nine surveys conducted since 1951 found Walleye catches ranging from 0 to 3.4/gill-net. The 2023 catch of 3.1/net was the second highest for the lake. The sampled fish ranged from 10.8 to 24.3 inches and averaged 18.9 inches. Four ages were estimated with fish from age 2 to 22 represented. The three stockings since 2015 resulted in all but one of the 28 fish sampled. Growth rates were good compared to the statewide average. Fish averaged 17.7 inches after four years of growth. The Walleye population likely provides a…
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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