Larue Pit
Itasca County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 31132601
DNR records show 13 stocking entries at Larue Pit since 2016, most recently rainbow trout yearlings in 2025 (1,500 fish).
- Larue Pit has 13 DNR stocking records across 10 years (2016-2025): rainbow trout (11), brown trout (2).
- The most-stocked species by count is rainbow trout: 16,690 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 200 ft; surface area 47 acres, 2.1 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 11.8 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, brown trout, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, and 1 more.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Itasca County, nearest town Nashwauk; DNR lake number (DOW) 31132601.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,500 | 622.6 |
| 2024 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,500 | 639.0 |
| 2023 | Rainbow Trout1 | - | 300 | 20.0 |
| 2023 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,500 | 639.0 |
| 2022 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,500 | 622.6 |
| 2021 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 2,000 | 995.4 |
| 2020 | Brown Trout | yearlings | 600 | 160.0 |
| 2020 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 2,000 | 1,023.8 |
| 2019 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,830 | 677.8 |
| 2018 | Brown Trout | yearlings | 945 | 242.3 |
| 2018 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,500 | 681.8 |
| 2017 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,530 | 527.6 |
| 2016 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,530 | 503.3 |
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 | TAX | Located at end of abandoned mine haul road on a point on SE side of the LaRue mine pit. - High and dry, no access possible. |
| earthen ramp | TAX | End of haul road east side of Larue pit. - With decreasing water levels, the turn around area is becoming smaller. |
DNR fish survey, 2017
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 21.67 | 195 | 0.13 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 12.44 | 112 | 0.21 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 1.33 | 12 | 0.10 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 0.13 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.09 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 4.06 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 0.09 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 0.57 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 4.00 | 24 | 2.38 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 18 | 4.56 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 12 | 0.39 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 12 | 0.13 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 0.83 | 5 | 2.32 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 3 | 0.58 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 2 | 0.28 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 2 | 0.86 |
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.
Larue Mine Pit is a complex of four mine pits encompassing about 195 acres with very limited littoral area and a maximum depth of 200 feet. The 2.2 mile shoreline is mostly tax forfeit land. There is a park area on the south west corner where the access is located. Larue Pit has been primarily managed for Rainbow Trout since 1997, though other species of stream trout have been occasionally stocked. The 2008 lake management plan indicates Rainbow Trout are a primary management species while Bluegill are considered a secondary management species. The long range management goal is to provide a put, grow and take stream trout fishery in cooperation with Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) which would stock Rainbow Trout at a rate of 5/acre (1,000) in the spring and fall. The lake management plan was amended in 2011 to adjust the stocking. The IRRRB vendor's stock is contaminated with bacterial kidney disease and as such cannot be stocked in uncontaminated waters like Larue. The IRRRB stocking was traded between Tioga Pit and Larue Pit. Since 2011, DNR has stocked 1,530 Arlee strain Rainbow Trout yearlings annually. This is the second survey since stream trout stocking had begun. Rusty crayfish, an invasive species, has been documented at various abundances in past assessments. Rainbow Trout were stocked 13 times in 10 years since 2008. Despite the numerous stockings, no Rainbow Trout were sampled. Brown Trout were stocked five times since 2008, resulting in one fish being sampled. However, mine pits tend to be difficult to net due to physical characteristics, water temperature and volume, as trout tend to suspend in cold deep water during the summer. Anecdotal angler reports suggests trout fishing has been successful and locally popular. Past Bluegill catches have been relatively high when compared to lakes with similar habitats and characterized by moderately poor size structure, similar to what was observed in 2017. Lengths ranged from 3.4 to 7.9 inches with an average length of 5.7 inches. Ages 3 to 8 were represented with growth comparable to similar lakes. The Walleye catch was within the expected range for lakes similar to Larue and above the previous survey. Lakes with similar habitats are not known to produce abundant Walleye fisheries. Lengths were favorable, from 17.2 to 26.7 inches with an average length of 22.8 inches. Age analysis identified five ages present suggesting natural reproduction is evident and may be capable of supporting a modest Walleye population. Walleye averaged 18.5 inches by age 5. Northern Pike were the…
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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