Esquagamah Lake
Aitkin County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 01014700
DNR records show 10 stocking entries at Esquagamah Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (260,000 fish).
- Esquagamah Lake has 10 DNR stocking records across 10 years (2016-2025): walleye (10).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 871,580 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 31 ft, mean depth 13 ft; surface area 842 acres, 520 littoral acres, 6.2 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 4.6 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, and 2 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Aitkin County, nearest town Palisade; DNR lake number (DOW) 01014700.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 8/20/1969 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 260,000 | 2.4 |
| 2024 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 22,981 | 779.9 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 260,000 | 2.3 |
| 2022 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 21,938 | 964.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 260,000 | 2.3 |
| 2020 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 7,600 | 400.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 12,189 | 520.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 9,612 | 520.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 9,200 | 520.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 8,060 | 520.0 |
2 fish purchased by the DNR for stocking.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | - south side of the lake; off CSAH in Section 18 |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Special trap nets | 26.75 | 321 | 0.20 |
| Yellow bullhead | Special trap nets | 9.33 | 112 | 0.95 |
| Black crappie | Special trap nets | 5.17 | 62 | 0.35 |
| Pumpkinseed | Special trap nets | 4.00 | 48 | 0.21 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Special trap nets | 1.25 | 15 | 5.47 |
| Brown bullhead | Special trap nets | 1.25 | 15 | 1.18 |
| Largemouth bass | Special trap nets | 0.67 | 8 | 1.51 |
| Yellow perch | Special trap nets | 0.42 | 5 | 0.08 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 22.67 | 272 | 0.26 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 22.08 | 265 | 0.11 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 14.75 | 177 | 0.18 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 6.08 | 73 | 1.89 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 1.58 | 19 | 2.44 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.08 | 13 | 1.62 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 0.75 | 9 | 0.32 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 0.58 | 7 | 6.42 |
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.
Esquagamah Lake is located 10 miles west of Palisade and is a popular destination for many anglers in western Aitkin County. There is a state-owned public access with concrete log ramp located just off of Aitkin County Road 3. The lake supports a wide variety of habitats that are conducive to several species of game fish. There are several offshore beds of submerged and emergent vegetation that provide excellent habitat for fish and wildlife. Anglers can expect to find fishable populations of Walleye, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, and sunfish. The purpose of this targeted assessment was to us gill nets to assist in the evaluation of the Walleye fry stocking (occurs in odd years opposite fingerlings in even years) and to examine the size structure of panfish in the spring. The Walleye catch rate in 2024 (6.0 per gill net) appeared to increase from the previous assessment in 2019 (4.1 per gill net) and was in the typical range when compared to lakes with similar habitat. Walleye ranged from 10.1 to 24.7 inches and averaged 17.4 inches. Walleye ranged in age from 2 to 13 years old, with over half of the catch (60 percent) being from the 2022 and 2019 year classes (ages 2 and 5). No fish were observed from the 2021 or 2023 year classes, which were stocked with fry. Northern Pike numbers have decreased in every survey since 1986 and were down to less than one per gill net in 2024. Size structure is healthy as indicated by an average length of 30.4 inches with 86 percent longer than 26 inches and individuals up to 35 inches sampled. Catch and release of large Pike is encouraged to maintain a favorable size structure for this lake. Esquagamah Lake is known for its high abundance of Black Crappie, and gill net catches have varied widely over the survey history (10.0 to 83.1 per net). The gill net catch rate in 2024 (22.7 per net) was similar to the previous assessment in 2019 (19.2 per net) and falls below the long term average (36.4 per net). It's not uncommon for Crappie lakes to fluctuate widely in abundance based on year class strengths. Crappies in gill nets averaged 7.6 inches with fish up to 10.6 inches in the sample and 19 percent longer than 9 inches. The spring trap net assessment sampled Crappie that averaged 8.4 inches with fish up to 11.1 inches in the sample and 40 percent longer than 9 inches. Anglers targeting Black Crappie can find success both in summer and winter months. The Bluegill population has varied little over the history of surveys on Esquagamah Lake until 2024. The Bluegill gill net catch rate in 2024 (14.8 per net)…
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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