Dark Lake (Koochiching County)
Koochiching County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 36001400
DNR records show 8 stocking entries at Dark Lake (Koochiching County) since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (70,000 fish).
- Dark Lake (Koochiching County) has 8 DNR stocking records across 7 years (2016-2025): walleye (8).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 88,654 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 50 ft; surface area 120 acres, 70 littoral acres, 3.0 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 7.6 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Koochiching County, nearest town Gemmell; DNR lake number (DOW) 36001400.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 3/11/1941 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 70,000 | 0.8 |
| 2025 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 1,628 | 74.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 1,050 | 70.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 2,170 | 70.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 2,340 | 68.8 |
| 2020 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 4,200 | 140.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 3,780 | 140.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 3,486 | 140.0 |
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 | Minnesota DNR | - State-owned access located on the north side of the lake; off county road 25. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 15.56 | 140 | 0.19 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 3.11 | 28 | 0.26 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 1.56 | 14 | 0.08 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 6 | 1.88 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 1.22 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 1.97 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.65 |
| Largemouth bass | Backpack electrofishing | 12.14 | 13 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | Backpack electrofishing | 4.67 | 5 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | Backpack electrofishing | 2.80 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Central mudminnow | Backpack electrofishing | 0.93 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | 50-ft beach seine | 6.89 | 62 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | 50-ft beach seine | 5.89 | 53 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | 50-ft beach seine | 3.33 | 30 | 0.00 |
| Black crappie | 50-ft beach seine | 2.33 | 21 | 0.00 |
| Golden shiner | 50-ft beach seine | 0.67 | 6 | 0.00 |
| Walleye | 50-ft beach seine | 0.22 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Northern pike | 50-ft beach seine | 0.11 | 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 Dark Lake, was conducted August 11th, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment (LBMA) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 10 sampling stations, but five stations were sampled from the boat due to site conditions. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample nine stations and site conditions (i.e., dense aquatic vegetation) prevented the use of a seine at one station. A concurrent summer trap net survey was also conducted by LBMA Program Staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline and in shallow offshore locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Trap net sampling captured seven species of fish, including one that is tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Black Bullhead). Bluegill comprised a majority of the trap net catch by number and biomass. The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from a June 2024 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Black Bullhead and Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Results from this survey provide evidence that the fish community in Dark Lake may be adversely impacted by stressors, as indicated by an FIBI score below the general use impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. The FIBI results are similar to previous findings. The survey results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Upper/Lower Red Lake Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. You can help protect the fish community in Dark Lake by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
All Minnesota stockings · every Minnesota lake with a page · state CSV · this lake on DNR LakeFinder
Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02; contours are the DNR bathymetric survey. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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