Gilbert Pit
St. Louis County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 69130600
DNR records show 1 stocking entry at Gilbert Pit since 2016, most recently rainbow trout yearlings in 2016 (1,200 fish).
- Gilbert Pit has 1 DNR stocking record across 1 year (2016-2016): rainbow trout (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is rainbow trout: 1,200 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 443 ft; surface area 243 acres, 19 littoral acres, 5.8 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 22.8 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bluegill, hybrid sunfish, lake trout, largemouth bass, northern pike, rainbow smelt, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- St. Louis County, nearest town Gilbert; DNR lake number (DOW) 69130600.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Rainbow Trout1 | yearlings | 1,200 | 400.0 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups.
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 | city | Parking for beach, picnic shelter, and boat landing for 12 vehicles including 2 handicaped spots. There is also an overflow lot available. |
DNR fish survey, 2023
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RBS | Small-mesh gill nets | 11.50 | 23 | 0.04 |
| Yellow perch | Small-mesh gill nets | 2.00 | 4 | 0.06 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 10.50 | 63 | 0.20 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 1.67 | 10 | 5.93 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard gill nets | 0.83 | 5 | 0.15 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 0.83 | 5 | 0.13 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 3 | 3.23 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 3 | 0.67 |
| Lake trout | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 2 | 6.20 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 0.17 | 1 | 4.43 |
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.
Gilbert Pit (Lake Ore-B-Gone) is a 243-acre mine pit located near Gilbert. The city of Gilbert owns and maintains a public park on the northwest side of the lake that includes a concrete boat ramp and parking for numerous vehicles. The lake has a maximum depth of 443 feet and extremely clear water. On June 26, 2023, Gilbert Pit was thermally stratified with a surface temperature of 71 F and a temperature of 39 F at a depth of 100 feet. Oxygen levels were adequate for gamefish throughout the top 100 feet of the water column. Six gill nets were used to sample gamefish in this survey. Two lake trout were sampled in 2023 resulting in a catch rate of 0.3 fish/net. This catch rate is similar to previous surveys of Gilbert Pit. The lake trout were 24.4 and 28.9 inches in length. Lake trout have not been stocked in Gilbert Pit since 1985, indicating that the lake supports a low-density, naturally reproducing population. Northern pike were sampled at a rate of 1.7 fish/net, the highest catch rate ever recorded in Gilbert Pit. Pike lengths ranged from 23.6 inches to 32.7 inches and averaged 29.1 inches. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass were sampled at a rate of 0.5 fish/net. Smallmouth tended to be larger in size, averaging 17.3 inches compared to 10.5 inches for largemouth. One walleye, measuring 21.8 inches in length, was also sampled in the gill nets. Other species sampled in gill nets included bluegill, hybrid sunfish, rock bass, and yellow perch. Rainbow smelt are a non-native species that were first reported in Gilbert Pit in the late 1990s. Targeted sampling using small mesh gill nets was conducted for the first time in 2023 and resulted in a catch rate of 11.5 smelt/net. Rainbow smelt introductions in other lakes in the Tower area have resulted in declines of other species including walleye, cisco, and lake whitefish. Visitors to Gilbert Pit should take extra caution to ensure they are not transporting any live smelt or smelt eggs to other lakes. In addition to rainbow smelt, Gilbert Pit is also infested with Eurasian watermilfoil and zebra mussels. It is important for anglers and boaters to follow regulations when moving between lakes because these species can survive in or on boats, trailers, and equipment for some time. Be sure to drain all water from bait containers, live wells, bilge, and watercraft, dispose of any unused bait, and carefully inspect and remove any plants or animals attached to the watercraft, trailer, anchor, or other equipment before leaving the lake.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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