Caribou Lake (Cook County)
Cook County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 16036000
Caribou Lake (Cook County) has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- Caribou Lake (Cook County) shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 30 ft; surface area 721 acres, 439 littoral acres, 10.3 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 8.2 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, northern pike, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Cook County, nearest town Lutsen; DNR lake number (DOW) 16036000.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 9/19/1991 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | Off Cook County Road 4 (Caribou Trail); on SW shore of the western basin of the lake. - Parking available for about six vehicles. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smallmouth bass | 50-ft beach seine | 29.50 | 59 | 0.00 |
| White sucker | 50-ft beach seine | 3.00 | 6 | 0.00 |
| Johnny darter | 50-ft beach seine | 2.00 | 4 | 0.00 |
| Northern pike | 50-ft beach seine | 0.50 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Blacknose dace | 50-ft beach seine | 0.50 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | 50-ft beach seine | 0.50 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Smallmouth bass | Backpack electrofishing | 21.62 | 46 | 0.00 |
| White sucker | Backpack electrofishing | 9.40 | 20 | 0.00 |
| Mottled sculpin | Backpack electrofishing | 3.29 | 7 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | Backpack electrofishing | 2.35 | 5 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | Backpack electrofishing | 1.88 | 4 | 0.00 |
| Johnny darter | Backpack electrofishing | 1.41 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Black crappie | Backpack electrofishing | 0.94 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Blacknose dace | Backpack electrofishing | 0.47 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 13.86 | 194 | 0.00 |
| Smallmouth bass | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 11.79 | 165 | 0.00 |
| White sucker | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 2.07 | 29 | 0.00 |
| Black crappie | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 2.07 | 29 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 1.93 | 27 | 0.00 |
| Pumpkinseed | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 0.50 | 7 | 0.00 |
| Walleye | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 0.14 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Northern pike | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 0.07 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Smallmouth bass | 15-ft beach seine | 3.62 | 29 | 0.00 |
| Northern pike | 15-ft beach seine | 0.12 | 1 | 0.00 |
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.
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Caribou Lake was conducted on August 4- August 6, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment Program (LBMA) staff. Nearshore sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing, mini-fyke nets, and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing and 1/8" mesh mini-fyke net were completed at 10 sampling stations. Additionally, a 50-foot seine was used to sample two stations, and a 15-foot seine was used at eight stations. Six seine stations were completed in non-standard locations to help with sampling efforts and ensure varied habitat types. Nearshore sampling captured 12 species of fish. The nearshore data along with gill net and standard trap net data will be used to develop fish community models for Northeast Minnesota lakes, which will be used to measure lake health in this region. These models may function similarly to fish IBI models developed for lakes across much of the rest of the state. For additional information, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. You can help protect the fish community in Caribou Lake by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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