Gunflint Lake
Cook County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 16035600
DNR records show 3 stocking entries at Gunflint Lake since 2017, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2023 (34,014 fish).
- Gunflint Lake has 3 DNR stocking records across 3 years (2017-2023): walleye (3).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 126,421 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 200 ft; surface area 4,009 acres, 674 littoral acres, 39.2 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 16.3 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bluegill, burbot, cisco species, lake trout, northern pike, rainbow smelt, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Cook County, nearest town Grand Marais; DNR lake number (DOW) 16035600.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 34,014 | 1,989.1 |
| 2020 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 44,800 | 2,010.8 |
| 2017 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 47,607 | 2,023.2 |
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 | USF |
DNR fish survey, 2025
Temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Gunflint Lake on August 11th, 2025. This was done to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Trout, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake (Cisco, also known as 'Tullibee', are also present). Lake Trout require a layer of oxythermal habitat that contains water temperatures below 8.8 degrees C (47.8 degrees F) and dissolved oxygen concentrations above 3.0 mg/L. Based on data collected from the deepest basin (maximum sampled depth was 98.4 feet), the water temperature decreased to 8.8 degrees C (47.8 degrees F) at 40.5 feet and the dissolved oxygen concentration stayed greater than 3.0 mg/L for the entire sampled depth. This layer in the water column was 57.9 feet, indicating oxythermal habitat for Lake Trout was present. Further, the temperature at which dissolved oxygen decreased to 3.0 mg/L (i.e., TDO3, a single variable to characterize oxythermal habitat) was never reached because dissolved oxygen remained above 3.0 mg/L throughout the sampled depths. In this case, the minimum temperature, 6.0 degrees C (42.8 degrees F), was substituted as TDO3. TDO3 values cooler than 8.8 degrees C (47.8 degrees F) indicate that oxythermal conditions were suitable for Lake Trout at the time of the survey. Data collected by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources during the period of maximum oxythermal stress (July 26th to Aug 24th) in 10 years, between 1976-2024, also indicated suitable oxythermal habitat in all years surveyed, with the least favorable conditions recorded in 2011 when the suitable oxythermal habitat layer was 23.3 feet thick. When adequate oxythermal habitat is not available, Lake Trout are squeezed into unfavorable, warmer water conditions and experience higher levels of stress.
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. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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