Elk Lake (Clearwater County)

Clearwater County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data

Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 15001000

DNR records show 19 stocking entries at Elk Lake (Clearwater County) since 2016, most recently muskellunge fingerlings in 2025 (152 fish).

• Elk Lake (Clearwater County) has 19 DNR stocking records across 10 years (2016-2025): muskellunge (10), walleye (9).
• The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 8,463 fish on record.
• Maximum depth 93 ft, mean depth 32 ft; surface area 303 acres, 73 littoral acres, 3.9 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
• Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 10.6 ft.
• Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, cisco species, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), and 4 more.
• 1 public access on the DNR list.
• Most recent DNR fish survey: July 21, 2025 (targeted survey).
• Clearwater County, nearest town Lake Itasca; DNR lake number (DOW) 15001000.

Depth map

Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/16/1964 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.

Stocking history

² fish purchased by the DNR for stocking.

Public accesses

DNR fish survey, 2025

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.

Elk Lake is a 303-acre lake, located within Itasca State Park about 30 miles southwest of Bemidji, MN. A targeted survey was completed on Elk Lake by Bemidji Area Fisheries staff during July of 2025 to assess the nearshore fish community and overall health of the lake. In this survey, 10 nearshore sites (100-foot) were evenly spaced along the lakeshore to sample a variety of aquatic habitat types and collect a representative sample of the nearshore fish community. Depending on the habitat conditions at each site, backpack electrofishing and shoreline seining were attempted where possible. Shoreline seining and backpack electrofishing were completed at all 10 sites. A total of 21 species of fish were sampled, which included six species (Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Mimic Shiner, and Rock Bass) that are intolerant to disturbance and poor water quality. Nearshore fish community data was analyzed with information collected from the standard survey completed in 2025 to calculate a Fish-based Index of Biologic Integrity (FIBI) score to measure the biological condition and overall health of Elk Lake. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and healthy habitat (e.g. Blackchin Shiner, Tullibee (cisco), Least Darter, Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g. Black Bullhead, Fathead Minnow, Green Sunfish). The combination of fish species present may identify stressors negatively affecting the lake environment. The FIBI score is composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics to indicate the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website (www.mndnr.gov). Results of this survey indicate Elk Lake is in exceptional health with a FIBI score well above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. In coordination with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, data from this survey will contribute towards the assessment of the Mississippi River (Headwaters) Watershed with biological information about the health of the fish community.

Minnesota DNR survey narrative, July 21, 2025.

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