Little Trout Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 69068200
DNR records show 6 stocking entries at Little Trout Lake since 2020, most recently lake trout yearlings in 2025 (2,700 fish).
- Little Trout Lake has 6 DNR stocking records across 6 years (2020-2025): lake trout (6).
- The most-stocked species by count is lake trout: 15,748 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 95 ft, mean depth 43 ft; surface area 272 acres, 79 littoral acres, 4.6 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 21.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: cisco species, green sunfish, lake trout, northern pike, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- St. Louis County, nearest town Crane Lake; DNR lake number (DOW) 69068200.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 8/14/1969 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Lake Trout | yearlings | 2,700 | 314.7 |
| 2024 | Lake Trout | yearlings | 2,560 | 275.3 |
| 2023 | Lake Trout | yearlings | 2,996 | 561.0 |
| 2022 | Lake Trout | yearlings | 2,700 | 167.8 |
| 2021 | Lake Trout | yearlings | 2,700 | 215.0 |
| 2020 | Lake Trout | yearlings | 2,092 | 505.3 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| O | National Park Service | - The lake is in Voyageurs National Park. A portage trail extends to Little Trout Lake from Grassy Bay on Sand Point Lake |
DNR fish survey, 2023
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cisco (tullibee) | Deep gill nets | 13.00 | 104 | 0.77 |
| Walleye | Deep gill nets | 1.50 | 12 | 5.00 |
| Smallmouth bass | Deep gill nets | 1.50 | 12 | 1.97 |
| Lake trout | Deep gill nets | 0.62 | 5 | 2.85 |
| Rock bass | Shallow gill nets | 10.25 | 41 | 0.24 |
| Smallmouth bass | Shallow gill nets | 5.75 | 23 | 1.06 |
| Walleye | Shallow gill nets | 2.50 | 10 | 2.58 |
| Yellow perch | Shallow gill nets | 0.25 | 1 | 0.11 |
| Northern pike | Shallow gill nets | 0.25 | 1 | 15.21 |
| Lake trout | Shallow gill nets | 0.25 | 1 | 3.31 |
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 Trout Lake is a 272 acre lake located in Voyageurs National Park. Little Trout Lake has a maximum depth of 95 feet, and good water clarity. The Lake is accessed via a short but fairly steep portage between Grassy Bay of Sand Point Lake and the south end of Little Trout Lake. This diverse fishery supports populations of several species of gamefish that may be of interest to anglers. The deep, cold water supports Lake Trout and Cisco, while the warmer waters hold quality populations of Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, and Northern Pike. To prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species and exotic viruses, anglers are only allowed to use artificial baits. In addition, no privately-owned watercraft (boats, canoes, kayaks, etc.) or float planes are allowed on interior lakes such as Little Trout. A standard survey was completed in Little Trout Lake in Late August of 2023. Special regulations protecting Lake Trout were enacted in 2015. The regulation prohibits harvest of Lake Trout, while still allowing catch and release angling during the inland summer and winter seasons. All other species follow statewide regulations for inland waters. Previous management plans have identified several long-range goals, including providing a healthy, self-sustaining fish community with an emphasis on Lake Trout as the top predator and other native species. Lake Trout abundance should be at least 1.0 fish per deep gill net set. Lake Trout gill net catch rate was 0.6 fish per net, which was above average for recent surveys. Total length ranged from 18.3 to 21.1 inches and the mean length was 19.7 inches. Average weight was 2.9 pounds which was below average compared to previous surveys. A total of three year-classes were present and ranged from 3-5 years. All Lake Trout sampled during the survey had a clipped adipose fin identifying them as stocked fish. Annual yearling Lake Trout stocking was resumed in 2020 after previous surveys failed to sample Lake Trout after stocking was ceased in 2006. Although present in low numbers, Lake Trout in Little Trout Lake provide a unique fishing opportunity. Walleye gill net catch rates were 2.5 fish per net in shallow gill nets and 1.5 fish per net in deep gill nets. Catch rate in shallow gill nets were below average and catch rate in deep gill nets were slightly above average compared to previous surveys. Total length in shallow gill nets ranged from 13.2 to 24.0 inches, with a mean of 19.5 inches. Total length in deep gill nets ranged from 20.8 to 28.3 inches, with a mean of 24.7 inches. Average weight in shallow gill nets was 2.6…
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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