Perch Lake (St. Louis County)
St. Louis County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 69093200
DNR records show 5 stocking entries at Perch Lake (St. Louis County) since 2017, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2025 (1,445 fish).
- Perch Lake (St. Louis County) has 5 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2017-2025): walleye (5).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 8,665 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 30 ft; surface area 344 acres, 170 littoral acres, 3.3 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 10.8 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- St. Louis County, nearest town Chisholm; DNR lake number (DOW) 69093200.
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 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 1,445 | 85.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 1,955 | 85.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 1,275 | 85.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 2,715 | 84.8 |
| 2017 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 1,275 | 85.0 |
2 fish purchased by the DNR for stocking.
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 | At west end of lake. |
DNR fish survey, 2016
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 34.83 | 46 | 1.47 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 3.79 | 5 | 1.56 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 10.44 | 94 | 1.70 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 3.44 | 31 | 2.99 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 2.44 | 22 | 2.61 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 2.11 | 19 | 0.09 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 1.78 | 16 | 0.04 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 1.11 | 10 | 0.31 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.89 | 8 | 3.17 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard gill nets | 0.56 | 5 | 0.10 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 2.67 | 24 | 0.21 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 0.47 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 1.75 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.03 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.77 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.31 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 2.61 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.42 |
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.
Perch Lake is located about 13 miles northwest of Chisholm, MN near and the Sturgeon chain of lakes. The 339 acre lake has 170 littoral acres, a maximum depth of 30 feet, with no inlets or outlets. The lake is heavily developed along the 3.3 mile shoreline. There is a DNR administered concrete boat access on the west side with parking available for about three rigs. The lake management plan was last updated in 2007. Walleye and Northern Pike are primary management species while Smallmouth Bass and Black Crappie are considered secondary management species. The 2016 assessment is one of seven summer assessments conducted since 1973, assessing the fish community, success of Walleye stocking, and the contribution from natural reproduction to the Walleye population. Pike River strain Walleye fingerlings have been stocked one in three years at a rate of one pound per littoral acre (170 pounds) since 2005. Perch Lake supports a modest Walleye fishery maintained by limited natural reproduction and fingerling stocking. Walleye catches were about average compared to similar lakes. The catch was similar to previous assessments, although slightly lower than management goals. Lengths ranged from 11.1 to 23.4 inches with an average length of 19.2 inches. Analysis of ageing structures suggests ages 2, 4-8, 10 and 11 were present. Most of the aged fish correlate to stocked years (64%). Occasional fingerling stocking appears to contribute, however increased stocking would not likely increase the walleye population due to low lake productivity and fish community limitations that include high Northern Pike and poor Yellow Perch numbers. Growth was similar to the statewide average for all ages by age 2, and similar to what was observed in previous assessments. Walleye averaged 16.3 inches by age 5. Northern Pike populations typically exhibit poor growth when occurring at high densities. Northern Pike were sampled at a historically high rate in 2016, nearly double what would be expected for similar lakes. The catch was over double the management goal while the mean weight decreased. Lengths ranged from 14.6 to 33.2 inches and an average length of 20.3 inches. Scale and bone analysis identified ages 2-5, and 7 present. Age 3 was the most frequently sampled (45%), though ages 2 and 4 were also strong. Growth was similar to the statewide average for all ages and the last assessment. Northern Pike averaged 22.6 inches by age 4. Examination identified Neascus (parasitic black spot) on 12% of the sample (n=5). Anglers can help improve size structure by releasing pike over 22…
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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