Elk Lake (Sherburne County, DOW 71014100)
Sherburne County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 71014100
DNR records show 2 stocking entries at Elk Lake (Sherburne County, DOW 71014100) since 2025, most recently bluegill sunfish adults in 2025 (500 fish).
- Elk Lake (Sherburne County, DOW 71014100) has 2 DNR stocking records across 1 year (2025-2025): bluegill sunfish (1), walleye (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 60,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 9 ft, mean depth 5 ft; surface area 357 acres, 357 littoral acres, 3.5 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 4.4 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, shorthead redhorse, silver redhorse, and 5 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Sherburne County, nearest town Clear Lake; DNR lake number (DOW) 71014100.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 6/11/1959 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Bluegill Sunfish1 | adults | 500 | 28.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye1 | fry | 60,000 | 0.6 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR |
DNR fish survey, 2019
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | 50-ft beach seine | 112.00 | 1,120 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | 50-ft beach seine | 49.80 | 498 | 0.00 |
| Johnny darter | 50-ft beach seine | 41.90 | 419 | 0.00 |
| Spottail shiner | 50-ft beach seine | 27.40 | 274 | 0.00 |
| Brassy minnow | 50-ft beach seine | 23.00 | 230 | 0.00 |
| Black crappie | 50-ft beach seine | 20.20 | 202 | 0.00 |
| Logperch | 50-ft beach seine | 18.00 | 180 | 0.00 |
| Common shiner | 50-ft beach seine | 17.00 | 170 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | Backpack electrofishing | 74.83 | 75 | 0.00 |
| Iowa darter | Backpack electrofishing | 33.92 | 34 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | Backpack electrofishing | 23.95 | 24 | 0.00 |
| Johnny darter | Backpack electrofishing | 12.97 | 13 | 0.00 |
| Smallmouth bass | Backpack electrofishing | 8.98 | 9 | 0.00 |
| Logperch | Backpack electrofishing | 8.98 | 9 | 0.00 |
| Green sunfish | Backpack electrofishing | 5.99 | 6 | 0.00 |
| Common shiner | Backpack electrofishing | 4.99 | 5 | 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 Elk Lake was conducted on July 29th, 2019 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Ten sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot seine. Nearshore sampling captured 26 species of fish including four species that are intolerant of disturbance (Banded Killifish, Iowa Darter, Logperch, Smallmouth Bass) and two that are tolerant of disturbance (Fathead Minnow and Green Sunfish). The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from the week of June 24th, 2019 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g. Iowa Darter, Logperch, Smallmouth Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g. Fathead Minnow and Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. The FIBI score for Elk Lake is above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar shallow lakes. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Mississippi River (St. Cloud) Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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