East Bearskin Lake
Cook County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 16014600
DNR records show 7 stocking entries at East Bearskin Lake since 2017, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (300,000 fish).
- East Bearskin Lake has 7 DNR stocking records across 6 years (2017-2025): walleye (5), lake trout (2).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 1,530,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 66 ft; surface area 593 acres, 146 littoral acres, 13.7 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 10.3 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, lake trout, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Cook County, nearest town Grand Marais; DNR lake number (DOW) 16014600.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 8/21/1984 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 300,000 | 3.4 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 300,000 | 3.1 |
| 2021 | Lake Trout | yearlings | 5,720 | 428.8 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 300,000 | 2.9 |
| 2019 | Lake Trout | yearlings | 4,977 | 496.6 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 300,000 | 3.4 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 330,000 | 3.1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| gravel ramp | USF |
DNR fish survey, 2024
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in East Bearskin Lake on August 6th, 2024, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Trout, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake. During the summer, Lake Trout require a layer of oxythermal habitat that contains water temperatures below 8.8 degrees C (47.8 degrees F) and dissolved oxygen concentrations above 3.0 mg/L. Based on the profile from the deepest basin (maximum sampled depth 65.6 feet), the water temperature decreased below 8.8 degrees C (47.8 degrees F) at 59.0 feet and the dissolved oxygen concentration decreased to 3.0 mg/L at 57.2 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 Trout. Further, the temperature at which dissolved oxygen decreased to 3.0 mg/L (i.e., TDO3, a single variable to characterize oxythermal habitat) was 8.9 degrees C (48.0 degrees F). TDO3 values warmer than 8.8 degrees C (47.8 degrees F) indicate that oxythermal conditions were unsuitable for Lake Trout at the time of the survey. Data collected by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources during the late summer period of maximum oxythermal stress (July 26th to Aug 24th) in 9 years, between 1956-2023, indicate suitable oxythermal habitat in most years when surveyed, with the least favorable conditions recorded in 2024. When inadequate oxythermal habitat is available, Lake Trout are squeezed into unfavorable, warmer water conditions and experience higher levels of stress.
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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