Crane Lake (St. Louis County)
St. Louis County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 69061600
Crane Lake (St. Louis County) has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- Crane Lake (St. Louis County) shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 80 ft; surface area 2,921 acres, 618 littoral acres, 34.0 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 8.2 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, cisco species, golden redhorse, muskellunge, northern pike, redhorse, rock bass, sauger, smallmouth bass, walleye, and 2 more.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- St. Louis County, nearest town Crane Lake; DNR lake number (DOW) 69061600.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/1/1952 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | - There is a state owned public access on the south side of the lake |
| concrete ramp | county | - West shore at Voyageurs National Park Ranger Station. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Crane Lake on August 20th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Whitefish, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake (Cisco, also known as 'Tullibee', are also present). During the summer, Lake Whitefish require a layer of oxythermal habitat that contains water temperatures below 17.2 degrees C (63.0 degrees F) and dissolved oxygen concentrations above 3.0 mg/L. Based on the profile from the deepest basin (maximum sampled depth 72.2 feet), the water temperature decreased below 17.2 degrees C (63.0 degrees F) at 25.5 feet and the dissolved oxygen concentration decreased to 3.0 mg/L at 21.1 feet at the time of sampling. Therefore, the water column did not contain a layer of water with sufficient temperature and dissolved oxygen for Lake Whitefish. Further, the temperature at which dissolved oxygen decreased to 3.0 mg/L (i.e., TDO3, a single variable to characterize oxythermal habitat) was 20.3 degrees C (68.5 degrees F). TDO3 values warmer than 17.2 degrees C (63.0 degrees F) indicate that oxythermal conditions were unsuitable for Lake Whitefish at the time of the survey. This is the first Minnesota Department of Natural Resources temperature and dissolved oxygen survey completed on Crane Lake during the late summer period of maximum oxythermal stress (July 26th to Aug 24th). Three surveys just outside the late summer period in late August 2006, 2011, and 2021 also indicated marginal or unsuitable habitat for Lake Whitefish. When inadequate oxythermal habitat is available, Lake Whitefish are squeezed into unfavorable, warmer water conditions and experience higher levels of stress.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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