Little Split Hand Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 31034100
DNR records show 1 stocking entry at Little Split Hand Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2016 (1,100 fish).
- Little Split Hand Lake has 1 DNR stocking record across 1 year (2016-2016): walleye (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 1,100 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 25 ft; surface area 244 acres, 140 littoral acres, 2.7 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 8.9 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, and 5 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Itasca County, nearest town Grand Rapids; DNR lake number (DOW) 31034100.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 1,100 | 55.0 |
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 | Minnesota DNR | State-owned access on north side of lake off County Road 68. |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 19.17 | 115 | 0.11 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 12.50 | 75 | 0.27 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 7.33 | 44 | 3.23 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 4.00 | 24 | 0.21 |
| Shorthead redhorse | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 18 | 1.48 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.33 | 8 | 0.50 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 3 | 3.15 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 2 | 1.57 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 6.22 | 56 | 0.23 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 9 | 0.20 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 9 | 0.39 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.89 | 8 | 0.69 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 4.49 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 1.41 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 1.06 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 0.20 |
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.
Little Split Hand Lake is a shallow lake located 16 miles southeast of Grand Rapids, MN. It has moderately clear and fertile water. The 2019 lake management plan (LMP) listed Black Crappie and Bluegill as primary management species and Northern Pike as a secondary management species. Management goals included: maintain a Black Crappie population with 30 to 60% of the fish at least 8 inches in spring surveys, maintain quality Bluegill with >60% of the fish at least 6 inches and 25% at least 8 inches from spring surveys, and maintain the presence of Northern Pike exceeding 34 inches. A standard survey using 6 gill nets and 9 trap nets was conducted in June 2024 to assess the fish community. Black Crappie net catches have been relatively high compared to other lakes with similar habitat. In 2024, the gill net catch of 12.5/net was high while the trap-net catch of 1.0/net was fairly low. The sampled crappie ranged from 6.2 to 10.4 inches for both gears with most fish around 8 to 9 inches. The trap net and gill net samples both essentially met size distribution goals. Above average catches of Black Crappie may provide decent fishing for moderate sized fish. Little Split Hand often has lower catches of moderate sized Bluegill compared to other lakes with similar habitat. Bluegill were sampled at a rate of 6.2/trap net. Bluegill ranged from 3.2 to 8.3 inches and averaged 6.4 inches. Little Split Hand may provide decent Bluegill fishing opportunities at times. Northern Pike catches have been variable but generally high. Gill net catches fluctuated from 5.7/net in 1975 to 20.3/net in 2018. Pike catches decreased from record highs in 2018 to 7.3/gill net in 2024. Northern Pike ranged from 13.4 to 31.3 inches and averaged 23.7 inches. Fish over 28 inches are caught with some regularity but few over 34 inches. Little Split Hand is known for having higher numbers of moderate sized pike and these population attributes are not desirable because they result in slow growth. Anglers and spearers are encouraged to keep fish under 22 inches and not harvest fish over 26 inches to improve size structure. The habitat in Little Split Hand is favorable for bass and panfish and poor for Walleye. Walleye stocking was discontinued after 1996 because prior stocking attempts failed to create a Walleye fishery. In 2002, 2010 and 2016, Walleye fingerlings were purchased by a private group. Five Walleye were sampled in the 2018 survey and four in the 2024 survey, further suggesting unfavorable conditions for Walleye. Walleye ranged from 20.2 to 22.4 inches in 2024. Yellow Perch…
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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