Pennington Mine Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 18043900
DNR records show 36 stocking entries at Pennington Mine Lake since 2016, most recently lake trout yearlings in 2025 (1,700 fish).
- Pennington Mine Lake has 36 DNR stocking records across 10 years (2016-2025): rainbow trout (27), lake trout (8), tullibee (cisco) (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is rainbow trout: 155,195 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 259 ft; surface area 62 acres, 7 littoral acres, 1.9 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 26.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rainbow trout, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Crow Wing County, nearest town Ironton; DNR lake number (DOW) 18043900.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Lake Trout | yearlings | 1,700 | 198.1 |
| 2025 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,602 | 2,839.8 |
| 2025 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,500 | 2,586.2 |
| 2024 | Lake Trout | adults | 1,424 | 1,277.6 |
| 2024 | Rainbow Trout | adults | 360 | 1,440.0 |
| 2024 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 9,630 | 3,223.7 |
| 2024 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,500 | 2,586.2 |
| 2023 | Lake Trout | yearlings | 2,770 | 245.1 |
| 2023 | Lake Trout | adults | 349 | 515.2 |
| 2023 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,500 | 2,586.2 |
| 2023 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,525 | 2,778.1 |
| 2022 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,500 | 2,500.0 |
| 2022 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 8,397 | 2,656.7 |
| 2021 | Tullibee (cisco) | adults | 23 | 23.0 |
| 2021 | Lake Trout | yearlings | 1,670 | 136.9 |
| 2021 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,500 | 2,500.0 |
| 2021 | Rainbow Trout | adults | 56 | 254.6 |
| 2021 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,518 | 3,066.1 |
| 2020 | Lake Trout | yearlings | 100 | 24.1 |
| 2020 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,500 | 2,678.6 |
| 2020 | Rainbow Trout | adults | 48 | 257.1 |
| 2020 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 8,765 | 3,427.9 |
| 2019 | Lake Trout | adults | 328 | 574.7 |
| 2019 | Lake Trout | yearlings | 3,340 | 341.5 |
| 2019 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,500 | 2,419.3 |
| 2019 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 8,134 | 3,071.8 |
| 2018 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,500 | 2,777.8 |
| 2018 | Rainbow Trout | adults | 60 | 259.7 |
| 2018 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 6,507 | 2,284.5 |
| 2017 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,514 | 2,863.1 |
| 2017 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,500 | 2,777.8 |
| 2017 | Rainbow Trout | fingerlings | 500 | 33.3 |
| 2016 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,513 | 3,008.0 |
| 2016 | Rainbow Trout | adults | 38 | 146.1 |
| 2016 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,500 | 2,500.0 |
| 2016 | Rainbow Trout | adults | 28 | 129.6 |
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 | West end of mine. |
DNR fish survey, 2022
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 82.67 | 248 | 0.03 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 5.00 | 15 | 0.18 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 4.00 | 12 | 0.25 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 2.00 | 6 | 0.55 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 2 | 0.23 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 1 | 5.77 |
| Rainbow trout | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 1 | 0.45 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 2.75 | 11 | 0.25 |
| Rainbow trout | Standard gill nets | 1.50 | 6 | 0.57 |
| Tullibee (cisco) | Standard gill nets | 1.25 | 5 | 1.31 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard gill nets | 1.25 | 5 | 0.29 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 4 | 0.35 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.75 | 3 | 0.47 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 2 | 3.18 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.25 | 1 | 0.97 |
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.
Pennington Lake is a former open pit iron ore mine pit located in the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area. Rainbow Trout were first stocked in 1982 and are stocked annual as yearlings (15,000/year) into Pennington and connected Mahnomen. Temperature and oxygen conditions suitable for trout occurred from a depth of about 20' down to around 45' in July. Rainbow Trout provide for a popular fishery, especially early in the season. Rainbow Trout were sampled at 1.5/gillnet, with an average length of 11.4". Lake Trout were first stocked in Pennington in 2019 and are stocked biennially as yearlings (1,670/year). No Lake Trout were sampled in this survey, although there are reports of anglers catching a few. Tullibee (Cisco) were also stocked in 2019 to provide forage for the Lake Trout. Tullibee (Cisco) were sampled in average numbers, when compared to similar lakes, at 1.3/gill net. Bluegills were sampled in high numbers at 82.7/trap net. Most ran on the small side with an average length of 5.5" and only 9% at least 7.0" in length. Two Northern Pike were sampled, with an average length of 24.3". Pennington is a designated stream trout lake. Designated stream trout lakes have additional angling regulations. Be sure to consult the current Minnesota Fishing Regulations book for regulations, seasons, and possession limits before fishing designated trout waters. Zebra mussels are present in Pennington Lake. Before and after launching lake users are required to inspect and remove any aquatic plants and animals from their watercraft and trailers as well as pull the plug and drain all water from the watercraft, including bilges, livewells and baitwells.
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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