Elk Lake (Sherburne County)
Sherburne County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 71005500
DNR records show 7 stocking entries at Elk Lake (Sherburne County) since 2018, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2024 (2,235 fish).
- Elk Lake (Sherburne County) has 7 DNR stocking records across 4 years (2018-2024): walleye (7).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 20,842 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 15 ft, mean depth 7 ft; surface area 362 acres, 362 littoral acres, 4.9 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 1.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, and 3 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Sherburne County, nearest town Zimmerman; DNR lake number (DOW) 71005500.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 11/14/1946 (topo map/drg); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | fingerlings | 2,235 | 149.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye | yearlings | 678 | 314.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fingerlings | 7,950 | 265.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fingerlings | 2,170 | 101.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye | yearlings | 5,100 | 340.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | adults | 289 | 288.5 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fingerlings | 2,420 | 220.0 |
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | Boat ramp and several parking spaces located on south end of lake. |
DNR fish survey, 2017
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brassy minnow | 50-ft beach seine | 38.75 | 310 | 0.00 |
| Johnny darter | 50-ft beach seine | 8.25 | 66 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | 50-ft beach seine | 4.88 | 39 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | 50-ft beach seine | 2.62 | 21 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | 50-ft beach seine | 1.88 | 15 | 0.00 |
| Northern pike | 50-ft beach seine | 0.25 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Pumpkinseed | 50-ft beach seine | 0.25 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Black crappie | 50-ft beach seine | 0.25 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Brassy minnow | Backpack electrofishing | 31.30 | 60 | 0.00 |
| Johnny darter | Backpack electrofishing | 7.83 | 15 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | Backpack electrofishing | 6.78 | 13 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | Backpack electrofishing | 3.65 | 7 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | Backpack electrofishing | 1.57 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Green sunfish | Backpack electrofishing | 1.04 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Yellow bullhead | Backpack electrofishing | 1.04 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Pumpkinseed | Backpack electrofishing | 0.52 | 1 | 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 the nearshore fish community on Elk Lake was conducted on August 14, 2017 by Fisheries Lake IBI program staff. Sampling stations were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all ten stations with one site sampled from the boat. Soft sediments with abundant emergent vegetation in deep water prevented the use of seines at one sampling site. Nearshore sampling captured 10 native species of fish including Johnny Darter, Spotfin Shiner, and Largemouth Bass. Data from this targeted nearshore survey is combined with data from a standard gill and trap netting survey in July 2017 to calculate a Fish-based Index of Biologic Integrity (FIBI) score that describes the overall health of the lake. 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. 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. The FIBI score for Elk Lake based on this survey is just below the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar 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. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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