Cole Lake
Carlton County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 09006800
DNR records show 2 stocking entries at Cole Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2018 (200,000 fish).
- Cole Lake has 2 DNR stocking records across 2 years (2016-2018): walleye (2).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 400,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 24 ft, mean depth 11 ft; surface area 142 acres, 107 littoral acres, 2.4 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 6.7 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Carlton County, nearest town Wright; DNR lake number (DOW) 09006800.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/18/1956 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 200,000 | 2.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 200,000 | 1.8 |
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| gravel ramp | Minnesota DNR | - North side of lake off state highway 210 |
DNR fish survey, 2016
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 42.97 | 57 | 1.29 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 24.56 | 221 | 0.14 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 3.00 | 27 | 0.83 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 2.11 | 19 | 0.77 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 2.11 | 19 | 0.40 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 9 | 0.22 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.78 | 7 | 1.48 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.78 | 7 | 1.31 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.78 | 7 | 0.33 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 5.33 | 32 | 2.17 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 3.67 | 22 | 0.12 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 1.50 | 9 | 0.14 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 1.17 | 7 | 4.08 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 6 | 0.91 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 4 | 0.06 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 4 | 0.93 |
| Golden shiner | Standard gill nets | 0.17 | 1 | 0.11 |
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 standard survey was conducted on Cole Lake during the summer of 2016 to evaluate and update information about fish populations and to evaluate the effectiveness of the Walleye stocking program. Walleye and Largemouth Bass are the primary management species for Cole Lake. Walleye fry have been stocked every other year into Cole Lake since 2008. Prior to that, Walleye fingerlings were stocked biennially from 1998 through 2006. Walleye abundance of 1.2 per gillnet lift was below average compared to other similar Minnesota Lakes. Walleye average length was large at 22.6 inches and 4.1 pounds. Eighty-six percent of Walleye aged corresponded to fingerling stocked year-classes. Zero Walleye were captured from several recent fry stocked year-classes (2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014). Largemouth Bass were sampled during a spring electrofishing survey at a rate of 43.0 per hour. Average length was 13.1 inches, but only 12% of the sample surpassed 16 inches. One large specimen was captured that exceeded 19 inches. Black Crappie abundance of 0.8 per trapnet lift was well below average compared to other similar Minnesota lakes. Average size was 8.6 inches but fish up to 11.2 inches were sampled. Bluegill abundance was above average at 24.6 per trapnet lift but size was small. Average length was 5.5 inches and only two percent exceeded eight inches. Yellow Perch were scarce and small. Northern Pike abundance of 5.3 per gillnet lift was above average compared to other similar Minnesota Lakes. Average size was small at 22.1 inches and 2.3 pounds.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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