Meditation Lake
Cook County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 16058300
DNR records show 6 stocking entries at Meditation Lake since 2016, most recently brook trout fingerlings in 2025 (2,500 fish).
- Meditation Lake has 6 DNR stocking records across 6 years (2016-2025): brook trout (6).
- The most-stocked species by count is brook trout: 11,500 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 31 ft, mean depth 15 ft; surface area 28 acres, 12 littoral acres, 1.1 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 7.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: brook trout.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Cook County, nearest town Tofte; DNR lake number (DOW) 16058300.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Brook Trout | fingerlings | 2,500 | 99.8 |
| 2023 | Brook Trout | fingerlings | 2,500 | 59.7 |
| 2021 | Brook Trout | fingerlings | 2,500 | 79.6 |
| 2020 | Brook Trout | fingerlings | 2,000 | 89.1 |
| 2018 | Brook Trout8 | fingerlings | 1,000 | 20.8 |
| 2016 | Brook Trout8 | fingerlings | 1,000 | 22.2 |
8 fish cooperatively purchased, raised, and/or stocked by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| PO | USF | Lake is partially inside the BWCAW. Accessed by a 35-rod portage from Sea Gull Lake. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brook trout | Standard gill nets | 10.50 | 21 | 1.37 |
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.
Meditation Lake is a small, 28-acre lake that is located almost entirely within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in Cook County, Minnesota. Access to the lake is considered moderate, with an approximate one-mile paddle/motor across Sea Gull Lake and then a short 0.1-mile portage into the lake. Meditation Lake is currently managed for brook trout, and is aerial stocked with 2,500 fingerlings during the fall of odd numbered years. Water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels have been suitable for stocked trout in Meditation Lake during the summer. The long-range goal for brook trout in Meditation Lake is to maintain a minimum gill net catch of 6.0 fish/net and a proportional size distribution (PSD) of at least 40 (stock = 8 in, quality = 12 in). In 2025, a standard survey was conducted on Meditation Lake using gillnets to monitor the brook trout fishery and determine if brook catch rates were meeting management objectives. The brook trout catch was exceptional during the 2025 survey on Meditation Lake. Gillnet catch rates were 10.5 fish/net, which was well-above the long-range goal of 6.0 fish/net and long-term average for the lake. A total of 21 brook trout were caught during the survey, all greater than 12.0 inches, with the largest sizes observed since the 1998 survey. Brook trout lengths ranged from 12.1 to 17.7 inches and averaged 15.2 inches. Age analysis found equal numbers of two- and four-year-old fish, coming from the 2023 and 2021 stocking events. Growth of brook trout was fast, with two-year-old fish averaging 14.0 inches and four-year-old fish averaging 16.5 inches. Habitat conditions (temperature and oxygen) from the surface down to 12.0 feet were found to be suitable for stocked trout during stressful periods of the summertime, suggesting that most of the lake was suitable for brook trout. With good catch rates, growth, and survivorship of brook trout to age four, habitat does not appear to limit the brook trout population. Meditation Lake continues to provide excellent angling opportunities for brook trout with good catch rates and large sizes fish. Minnesota Lakes within Cook County continue to be susceptible to aquatic invasive species introductions. Invasive species have the potential to significantly alter fish communities and overall lake health. Anglers should clean watercraft and fishing gear, drain all water, and dispose of unused bait in the trash to prevent accidental introductions.
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. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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