Feather Lake

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

Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 16090500

DNR records show 10 stocking entries at Feather Lake since 2016, most recently brook trout fingerlings in 2025 (1,000 fish).

• Feather Lake has 10 DNR stocking records across 10 years (2016-2025): brook trout (10).
• The most-stocked species by count is brook trout: 9,368 fish on record.
• Maximum depth 24 ft; surface area 9 acres, 8 littoral acres, 0.5 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
• Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 7.6 ft.
• Fish species DNR lists here: brook trout.
• 1 public access on the DNR list.
• Most recent DNR fish survey: October 18, 2021 (standard survey).
• Cook County, nearest town Tofte; DNR lake number (DOW) 16090500.

Stocking history

⁸ fish cooperatively purchased, raised, and/or stocked by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Public accesses

DNR fish survey, 2021

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.

Feather Lake is a designated trout lake located about twelve miles north of Schroeder that is eight acres in size with a maximum depth of 24 feet. There is a carry in access 0.7 miles south of the Four Mile Grade (Forest Service 170) located at the end of Forest Service 170F. The access trail is about 100 yards long and includes a boardwalk over the bog fringe of the lake. Shore fishing is limited because of aquatic floating leaf vegetation that occurs around the perimeter of the lake, although anglers have established foot paths to areas that provide some opportunities. The lake is managed for Brook Trout and the current plan calls for 1,000 fingerling fish to be stocked annually in the fall. The catch from the 2021 survey revealed an abundant trout population with 49 fish sampled in a single gill net. Size of fish ranged from 7.6 to 13.4" with only 4% greater than 12" long and an average size of just 9.1" and 0.28 pounds. Fish from the three previous stocking events were identified in the catch, but only one age-3 fish was sampled. Creel data collected as part of the fisheries assessment found a good amount of use by anglers in the summer and winter. Results of the 2021 survey confirm that Feather Lake continues to provide excellent opportunities for anglers to catch Brook Trout. The lake will continue to be managed as a put-grow-take fishery into the foreseeable future through annual stocking although the size structure of the population will likely vary based on the amount of angler harvest and the success of stocked fish.

Minnesota DNR survey narrative, October 18, 2021.

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