Elephant Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 69081000
DNR records show 2 stocking entries at Elephant Lake since 2022, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2024 (5,031 fish).
- Elephant Lake has 2 DNR stocking records across 2 years (2022-2024): walleye (2).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 16,630 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 30 ft; surface area 728 acres, 331 littoral acres, 9.0 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 9.2 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- St. Louis County, nearest town Ash Lake; DNR lake number (DOW) 69081000.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 3/1/1938 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 5,031 | 387.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 11,599 | 340.4 |
2 fish purchased by the DNR for stocking.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | |
| CA | Minnesota DNR | - Carry in access is available on the S end of the lake from the road |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow perch | 50-ft beach seine | 58.40 | 292 | 0.00 |
| Smallmouth bass | 50-ft beach seine | 9.80 | 49 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | 50-ft beach seine | 5.40 | 27 | 0.00 |
| Central mudminnow | Backpack electrofishing | 30.56 | 80 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | Backpack electrofishing | 20.63 | 54 | 0.00 |
| Golden shiner | Backpack electrofishing | 16.81 | 44 | 0.00 |
| Smallmouth bass | Backpack electrofishing | 12.99 | 34 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | Backpack electrofishing | 6.11 | 16 | 0.00 |
| Pumpkinseed | Backpack electrofishing | 1.53 | 4 | 0.00 |
| Black crappie | Backpack electrofishing | 1.15 | 3 | 0.00 |
| White sucker | Backpack electrofishing | 0.76 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | 15-ft beach seine | 16.25 | 130 | 0.00 |
| Pumpkinseed | 15-ft beach seine | 6.00 | 48 | 0.00 |
| Golden shiner | 15-ft beach seine | 2.25 | 18 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | 15-ft beach seine | 0.75 | 6 | 0.00 |
| Central mudminnow | 15-ft beach seine | 0.62 | 5 | 0.00 |
| Northern pike | 15-ft beach seine | 0.62 | 5 | 0.00 |
| Smallmouth bass | 15-ft beach seine | 0.38 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Black crappie | 15-ft beach seine | 0.12 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 15.86 | 222 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 4.93 | 69 | 0.00 |
| Smallmouth bass | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 4.86 | 68 | 0.00 |
| Pumpkinseed | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 4.71 | 66 | 0.00 |
| Black crappie | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 0.64 | 9 | 0.00 |
| Northern pike | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 0.36 | 5 | 0.00 |
| Golden shiner | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 0.29 | 4 | 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 Elephant Lake, was conducted on July 8-July 10, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment Program (LBMA) staff. Nearshore sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing, mini-fyke nets, and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing and 1/8" mesh mini-fyke net were completed at 14 sampling stations. Additionally, a 50-foot seine was used to sample five stations and a 15-foot seine was used at eight stations. These seine stations were completed in non-standard locations to help with sampling efforts and ensure varied habitat types. Nearshore sampling captured 11 species of fish. The nearshore data along with gill net and standard trap net data will be used to develop fish community models for Northeast Minnesota lakes, which will be used to measure lake health in this region. These models may function similarly to fish IBI models developed for lakes across much of the rest of the state. For additional information, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. You can help protect the fish community in Elephant Lake by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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