East Lake (Lake County)
Lake County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 38002000
DNR records show 2 stocking entries at East Lake (Lake County) since 2019, most recently black crappie adults in 2019 (1,224 fish).
- East Lake (Lake County) has 2 DNR stocking records across 1 year (2019-2019): black crappie (1), bluegill sunfish (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is black crappie: 1,224 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 18 ft, mean depth 7 ft; surface area 82 acres, 65 littoral acres, 1.8 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 7.8 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, northern pike, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 3 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Lake County, nearest town Schroeder; DNR lake number (DOW) 38002000.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 8/27/1980 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Black Crappie | adults | 1,224 | 153.0 |
| 2019 | Bluegill Sunfish | adults | 1,110 | 111.0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| CA | USF | A 0.4 mile foot path from the end of USFS Rd. #1849 leads to the south corner of the lake. This is an old railroad grade and difficult to follow. |
| PO | USF | A 0.25 mile foot path from Houghtaling Creek leads to the lake; midway along the north shore. Not marked with signs and little used. - More likely to be used as a snowmobile access. |
| CA | USF | From Lake County Rd #7; then N.E. 0.8 mile on USFS Rd #1849 to (ATV) logging road. Take logging road 0.8 mile, NW then east to the lake. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 19.67 | 59 | 0.81 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 4.33 | 13 | 0.16 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 6 | 8.76 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 2 | 0.79 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 1.50 | 18 | 0.10 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 1.42 | 17 | 0.98 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.25 | 3 | 0.32 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.17 | 2 | 7.68 |
| Common shiner | Standard trap nets | 0.08 | 1 | 0.04 |
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.
East Lake is an undeveloped lake located about ten miles northwest of Schroeder within the Superior National Forest. It was previously managed for stream trout but stocking was discontinued in 2015 due to difficult access, low angler use, and poor survival of stocked fish. Management has subsequently changed to warm water species and adult Black Crappie and Bluegill were stocked into the lake in 2019 in an attempt to establish self-sustaining populations. The 2025 survey was the first standard fisheries survey completed to evaluate the success of panfish stocking efforts. The stocked Black Crappie have been able to naturally reproduce in the lake as five crappie from two unique year classes were captured. A targeted survey completed in 2022 also captured four crappie from a separate year class providing additional data to indicate successful natural reproduction has occurred in the lake. No evidence of successful Bluegill natural reproduction was found in either survey to date. Northern Pike were sampled for the first time in the eight fisheries surveys dating back to 1994. The catch included a small number of large fish that likely migrated into the lake during a recent high-water event as other waterbodies in the Cross River watershed support pike populations. It is unclear if there is adequate habitat for sustainable natural reproduction since the species was previously unable to maintain a population in the lake. The current fish community consists of a low density naturally reproducing population of Black Crappie based on recent survey data. A few large Northern Pike also inhabited the lake in 2025 although they were not a product of natural reproduction in the lake. Future surveys will continue to monitor the fish community to verify there is some type of fishery available for anglers that make the effort to reach this difficult to access lake.
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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