High Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 69007100
DNR records show 14 stocking entries at High Lake since 2016, most recently rainbow trout yearlings in 2025 (2,400 fish).
- High Lake has 14 DNR stocking records across 10 years (2016-2025): rainbow trout (7), brook trout (4), splake (3).
- The most-stocked species by count is brook trout: 26,200 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 66 ft; surface area 274 acres, 99 littoral acres, 6.4 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 12.3 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bluegill, brook trout, rainbow trout, splake, white sucker.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- St. Louis County, nearest town Ely; DNR lake number (DOW) 69007100.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 9/24/1976 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 2,400 | 888.9 |
| 2024 | Brook Trout | fingerlings | 10,000 | 203.3 |
| 2024 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,200 | 413.8 |
| 2023 | Splake | fingerlings | 11,612 | 327.7 |
| 2022 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,200 | 428.6 |
| 2021 | Brook Trout | fingerlings | 10,000 | 224.0 |
| 2021 | Splake | fingerlings | 3,065 | 78.8 |
| 2020 | Brook Trout | fingerlings | 2,000 | 109.7 |
| 2020 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,200 | 444.4 |
| 2020 | Splake | fingerlings | 7,145 | 205.3 |
| 2019 | Brook Trout | adults | 4,200 | 3,571.8 |
| 2018 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 8,100 | 3,000.0 |
| 2017 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 5,000 | 1,724.1 |
| 2016 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,200 | 421.1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| CA | USF | Approximately 1/4 mile portage from Dry Lake. |
| CA | USF | Approximately 1 mile portage from FR 460. |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 108.78 | 979 | 0.03 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 7.78 | 70 | 0.42 |
| Splake | Standard trap nets | 3.44 | 31 | 0.65 |
| Golden shiner | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 0.05 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 24.17 | 145 | 0.66 |
| Splake | Standard gill nets | 7.67 | 46 | 1.02 |
| Brook trout | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 18 | 1.04 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 3 | 0.18 |
| Rainbow trout | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 2 | 0.47 |
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.
High is a 274-acre designated trout lake located five miles north of Ely in the Superior National Forest. It has lightly bog stained waters, a maximum depth of 63 feet, and limited aquatic vegetation. The surrounding forest consists of mature pine and scattered hardwoods situated on outcrops of bedrock. Most of the lake is publicly owned but a few private parcels are present. Rainbow trout, splake, and brook trout are stocked on a rotating schedule. There are two public access points into High Lake. The primary method is from Dry Lake by ¼ mile long portage. Alternatively, one may enter from the High Fen Rd. (FR460). A logging spur comes within ½ mile from the tip of the north arm in the western basin by the beaver drainage inlet. Angling pressure is presumed to be light during the open water season, but High is a popular semi-remote winter fishery. The overall gillnet catch rate (28.4 fish/net) was higher than average. Fish species sampled in gill nets were white sucker, splake, brook trout, rainbow trout, and bluegill. Gillnet catch of all trout by weight for this assessment was the highest on record at 11.1 pounds/net. The overall trap net catch rate (120.3 fish/net) was the highest ever sampled from high, and notably high for any lake in the Tower area. Bluegill comprised most of the catch followed by white sucker and splake. A few golden shiners were captured as well. The splake catch rate was 7.8 pounds/gill net. Lengths ranged from seven to 17.5 inches with an average of nearly 14 inches, which is somewhat less than normal. High usually produces exceptionally sized splake in assessments, but their absence in the catch is unsurprising given the six-year gap in stocking following 2014. Trap nets sampled an additional 31 splake with a mean length of 11 inches. Two rainbow trout were sampled in gill nets. Lengths were 10 and 11 inches. These fish were from this spring's yearling stocking. The rainbow population in high has been historically difficult to sample. Anglers report abundance and sizes not reflected in surveys. Eighteen brook trout were sampled in the gill nets. Lengths ranged from 11 to almost 17 inches with an average length nearing 14 inches, well above average for High. The bluegill population in High Lake appeared to be thriving. The trap net catch (108.8 fish/net) was astoundingly above normal compared to similar lakes. Sizes ranged from three to 10.7 inches with an average of about six inches. A little over 10% of the catch was 7.5 inches or larger, but most fish measured were less than six inches.
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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