Harris Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 69014600
DNR records show 5 stocking entries at Harris Lake since 2017, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2025 (1,144 fish).
- Harris Lake has 5 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2017-2025): walleye (5).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 5,691 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 38 ft; surface area 68 acres, 44 littoral acres, 1.8 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 8.4 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- St. Louis County, nearest town Fairbanks; DNR lake number (DOW) 69014600.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 8/4/1965 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 1,144 | 44.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 1,004 | 43.6 |
| 2021 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 1,486 | 43.7 |
| 2019 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 1,049 | 43.7 |
| 2017 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 1,008 | 44.0 |
2 fish purchased by the DNR for stocking.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| CA | USF | - Access is gained off a rugged, 3/4 mile long trail near the end of the Northeast Grade Road. |
| O | USF | - Lake is accessible by abandoned logging roads off of Northeast Grade. |
DNR fish survey, 2018
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 13.00 | 117 | 0.11 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 1.33 | 12 | 2.30 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.33 | 12 | 0.13 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 1.22 | 11 | 2.03 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 9 | 0.17 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 0.29 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.06 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 2.43 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 3.60 | 18 | 1.92 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 15 | 0.14 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 15 | 0.13 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 10 | 1.78 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 1.20 | 6 | 1.45 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 0.40 | 2 | 0.15 |
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.
Harris Lake is a 67 acre lake within Superior National Forest with 44 (65%) acres of littoral area and a maximum depth of 38 feet. The lake is located east of Whiteface Reservoir. The lake is accessible by a rugged � mile long trail off of the Northeast Grade. Walleye fingerlings have been stocked in odd years since 2003. Harris Lake was last assessed in 2010. Harris was surveyed during the summer of 2018 to update information about fish populations and to evaluate the success of the Walleye stocking program. Walleye abundance of 3.6 per gillnet lift was average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Walleye average length was 17.5 inches and all fish aged corresponded to stocked year-classes, suggesting poor natural reproduction of Walleye in Harris Lake. However, anglers should expect decent fishing for Walleye in Harris Lake with many stocked year-classes contributing to the fishery. Northern Pike abundance of 1.2 per gillnet lift was below average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Average length was small at 19.6 inches. Bluegill abundance of 13.0 per trapnet lift was average compared to other similar Minnesota lakes, but size was small and growth is slow. Bluegill average length was 4.9 inches, but a few fish over 8 inches were captured. Bluegill size structure should improve as the strong 2014 and 2015 year-classes mature. Yellow Perch abundance was average but size was small.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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