Kabetogama Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 69084500
Kabetogama Lake has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- Kabetogama Lake shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 80 ft, mean depth 30 ft; surface area 24,034 acres, 7,440 littoral acres, 190.5 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 8.8 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, burbot, cisco species, lake sturgeon, lake whitefish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, redhorse, rock bass, sauger, and 4 more.
- 6 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- St. Louis County, nearest town Ray; DNR lake number (DOW) 69084500.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 5/1/1939 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | |
| concrete ramp | National Park Service | |
| gravel ramp | Minnesota DNR | |
| concrete ramp | National Park Service | |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | Fall electrofishing | 178.63 | 325 | 0.05 |
| Yellow perch | Survey seining | 131.90 | 6,595 | 0.00 |
| Spottail shiner | Survey seining | 31.04 | 1,552 | 0.00 |
| Black crappie | Survey seining | 17.86 | 893 | 0.00 |
| White sucker | Survey seining | 13.80 | 690 | 0.00 |
| Walleye | Survey seining | 13.06 | 653 | 0.00 |
| Smallmouth bass | Survey seining | 4.98 | 249 | 0.00 |
| Johnny darter | Survey seining | 0.86 | 43 | 0.00 |
| Logperch | Survey seining | 0.48 | 24 | 0.00 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 40.27 | 124 | 0.85 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 8.75 | 175 | 0.35 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 8.70 | 174 | 1.59 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 3.30 | 66 | 1.82 |
| Sauger | Standard gill nets | 3.15 | 63 | 0.53 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 2.65 | 53 | 3.64 |
| Cisco (tullibee) | Standard gill nets | 1.85 | 37 | 1.15 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 1.30 | 26 | 0.31 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.15 | 23 | 1.26 |
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.
Lake Kabetogama is part of the statewide Large Lake Program, an intensive fisheries management program on the 10 largest Walleye lakes in Minnesota. The Large Lake Program includes annual fish population assessments, annual water quality monitoring, and regularly scheduled creel surveys. A variety of sampling gear is used during population assessments to collect the various fish species and life stages. These gear types include gill nets, beach seines, and an electrofishing boat on Lake Kabetogama. Sampling for each gear type is conducted at the same time and place each year to determine population trends for the major species. Data is also collected on length, weight, age, and growth for each of the major species. The Walleye gill net catch rate in 2025 was 8.7 fish per net, which is similar to the long-term average for Lake Kabetogama. Walleye catch rates have generally been greater than average for Lake Kabetogama since 2015 due to good recruitment. Walleye gill net catches were at a historical low of 5.5 fish per gill net in 2014. The catch of Walleyes in our sampling increased in the following four surveys due to good year-classes of Walleyes from the 2015 and 2016 cohorts. These back-to-back year-classes mark the first time Kabetogama has produced two consecutive above average year-classes since the late 1980s. However, most of the fish from these year-classes have now grown into the protected slot range with the 2015 year-class averaging 20.2 inches long and the 2016 year-class averaging 19.8 inches long in 2025. The largest contributor to the 2025 Walleye gill net catch were age-1 fish from the 2024 year-class, composing 25.9 percent of the total number caught. Most of the Walleyes caught from the 2024 year-class were in the seven and eight-inch length groups and have the potential to be the next strong year-class. The 2020 year-class contributed an additional 14.4 percent of the 2025 catch and is a very strong year-class. Age-5 Walleyes from the 2020 year-class ranged from 14.4 to 18.8 inches and averaged 16.6 inches long in fall 2025. Overall, gill netted Walleyes ranged in length from 6.9 to 24.8 inches long and had an average length of 15.1 inches. There is an experimental regulation for Walleye on Lake Kabetogama; an 18-26 inch protected slot, with one fish allowed over 26 inches, and a four-fish bag limit. The goal of the regulation is to keep harvest at a safe level and maintain adequate spawning stock. Lake Kabetogama is home to a fishable Sauger population. The 2025 catch rate of 3.2 per gill net was slightly below average but similar…
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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