Dark Lake (St. Louis County)
St. Louis County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 69079000
DNR records show 1 stocking entry at Dark Lake (St. Louis County) since 2016, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2016 (3,754 fish).
- Dark Lake (St. Louis County) has 1 DNR stocking record across 1 year (2016-2016): walleye (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 3,754 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 31 ft; surface area 231 acres, 138 littoral acres, 3.9 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 8.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- St. Louis County, nearest town Buhl; DNR lake number (DOW) 69079000.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 3,754 | 138.0 |
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 | USF | Concrete public access off west shore of north basin. |
DNR fish survey, 2016
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 19.64 | 25 | 1.96 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 4.67 | 28 | 1.75 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 2.50 | 15 | 2.45 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 4 | 0.07 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 0.17 | 1 | 2.14 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 0.17 | 1 | 0.45 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 4.33 | 39 | 2.13 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 3.89 | 35 | 0.18 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 2.44 | 22 | 1.67 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 2.00 | 18 | 0.48 |
| Shorthead redhorse | Standard trap nets | 0.78 | 7 | 2.27 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 6 | 0.05 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 0.32 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.28 |
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.
Dark Lake is a 232-acre lake located 7 miles north of Buhl, MN, within the Little Fork River watershed. A public access is located on the west shore of the northern basin. The lake has a maximum depth of 31 feet and 59 percent of the lake is less than 15 feet deep. Water chemistry analysis shows the lake has hard water and low fertility indicating the lake has a limited capacity to support a lot of fish. The lakes water is brown resulting in visibility to only five feet. The depth of water at which oxygen levels become insufficient for fish to be present, occurs around ten feet in the summer. The Dark River inlet is located on the east side of the southern basin and originates from an iron mining tailing basin. The Dark River outlet is located on the west side of the southern basin and ultimately flows into the Sturgeon River. Beaver dams are common on the Dark River resulting in seasonal restrictions to fish migration. The 2016 survey was the ninth survey of the Dark Lake fish community since 1955. Surveys are conducted to monitor the fish population for changes in abundance, size distribution, and growth. The 2016 survey will also be used to evaluate the Walleye stocking plan when revising the Management Plan in 2017. Walleye fingerlings are have been stocked at a rate of 1 pound/littoral acre (138 pounds; acres of water less than 15 feet) in even years from 2006 to 2016. The 2007 management plan listed Northern Pike and Walleye as primary management species and Black Crappie as a secondary management species. In 2016, Walleye catch rates remained below the long range goal for the third consecutive survey, while Northern Pike catch rates exceeded the long range goal for the fourth consecutive survey. Low Walleye number reflects limited natural production and low survival of stocked fish. Higher Northern Pike numbers have been observed across north-central Minnesota in recent decades and are attributed primarily to high harvest of medium and large pike. The gill net catch rate of Northern Pike in 2016 was the second highest observed, and exceeded catch rates for lakes with similar habitat. Lengths in 2016 ranged from 13 to 29 inches, with 69% of pike measuring less than 21 inches. The number of pike 21 inches or greater was the lowest observed since 1985. Ages in 2016 ranged from 2 to 6, with three year old fish being the most numerous (31%). Growth was below the statewide average for all ages, resulting in Northern Pike taking five years to exceed 21 inches. In general, the population is relatively high in number, has poor size distribution, and slow…
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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