Devilfish Lake
Cook County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 16002900
DNR records show 2 stocking entries at Devilfish Lake since 2023, most recently walleye fry in 2024 (200,000 fish).
- Devilfish Lake has 2 DNR stocking records across 2 years (2023-2024): walleye (2).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 400,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 40 ft, mean depth 13 ft; surface area 405 acres, 228 littoral acres, 7.8 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 9.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Cook County, nearest town Hovland; DNR lake number (DOW) 16002900.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 2/15/1937 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 200,000 | 1.8 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 200,000 | 1.8 |
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 | In southern-most bay of lake, with parking for ten vehicles. |
DNR fish survey, 2020
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 10.56 | 95 | 1.40 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 1.67 | 15 | 1.68 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.89 | 8 | 0.59 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard trap nets | 1.50 | 18 | 0.60 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 0.50 | 6 | 1.39 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 0.08 | 1 | 1.67 |
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.
The 2020 survey of Devilfish Lake was scheduled in the 2018 lake management plan (LMP) revision to determine if the Walleye population goal could be met in the absence of stocking. The long-term goal for Walleye in Devilfish Lake, established in the 1990 LMP, is to maintain a population with a minimum gill net catch of 4.0 fish/net. That goal was met in most surveys done through 2008. Walleye were present in fair numbers in Devilfish Lake in 2020, with a few larger fish available. However, the 2020 Walleye gill net catch was the lowest ever recorded in this lake, and fell below the normal range for a lake of this type. The 2020 survey gill net catch was the third in a row that failed to meet the long-range goal for the Walleye population, with each catch lower than the previous. The mean weight of Walleye sampled in gill nets in 2020 was the highest observed for this lake, mainly due to a lack of small Walleye in the catch rather than high numbers of large fish. It is clear from results of the 2016 and 2020 surveys that Walleye natural reproduction has been inadequate, and that a resumption of stocking is needed to meet the goal for this population. Aging results in 2020 indicated only relatively weak natural year classes had been produced since stocking ceased in 2010. Although growth for the youngest Walleye taken in this survey appeared to have been adequate (based on a very small sample size), growth for older fish had been slow. The oldest fish sampled was a 19-year-old fish that was just 15.8 inches long when captured. The largest fish taken (27.6 inches) was 16 years old. Smallmouth Bass, introduced illegally and first documented in Devilfish Lake in 2008, have become well-established since that time. They appeared to have been abundant in 2020, with fair numbers of fish over 12 inches present. Smallmouth Bass collected in all gears in 2020 ranged in length from 6.8 to 14.0 inches. Smallmouth Bass are considered an undesirable species for Devilfish Lake due to the additional competition they impose on Walleye for limited forage. In some lakes where they have been introduced we have seen the nearly complete elimination of small fish species in the nearshore fish community. In addition, deep drops in the production of young-of-year Walleye and Yellow Perch, with reduced Walleye recruitment, have been seen in some cases. The White Sucker gill net catch in 2020 fell within the normal range for a lake of this type, and was similar to past catches in Devilfish Lake. A majority of the White Sucker sampled were too large to serve as forage for Walleye.…
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.
Hear when the states we cover post stockings
One email a week in season: which waters in the states we cover were stocked, straight from the state agencies' own postings. No spam, no fishing-gear ads in the mail.
Free · double opt-in · unsubscribe anytime · we store only your email.