Pickerel Lake (St. Louis County)

St. Louis County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data

Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 69093400

DNR records show 9 stocking entries at Pickerel Lake (St. Louis County) since 2016, most recently splake yearlings in 2025 (358 fish).

• Pickerel Lake (St. Louis County) has 9 DNR stocking records across 9 years (2016-2025): rainbow trout (5), splake (4).
• The most-stocked species by count is rainbow trout: 5,899 fish on record.
• Maximum depth 47 ft; surface area 32 acres, 22 littoral acres, 1.4 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
• Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 8.5 ft.
• Fish species DNR lists here: rainbow trout, splake.
• 1 public access on the DNR list.
• Most recent DNR fish survey: October 3, 2022 (targeted survey).
• St. Louis County, nearest town Chisholm; DNR lake number (DOW) 69093400.

Stocking history

Public accesses

DNR fish survey, 2022

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.

Pickerel Lake is a designated stream trout lake managed for Rainbow Trout and Splake (Brook Trout and Lake Trout hybrids). Yearling Kamloops strain Rainbow Trout have been stocked at a rate of 50/acre (1,400 fish) in odd years since 2013. Fingerling Splake were stocked at a rate 50 per acre in 2018 and 2020. The 2016 fisheries lake management plan (LMP) included fingerling Splake stocking to provide predation on White Sucker and produce a limited Splake fishery. Fingerling Splake are very small at the time of stocking and survival is often poor. Hatchery capacity to produce yearling Splake has improved in recent years and yearling Splake may be a better option because survival is expected to be higher. The LMP was amended in 2021 to stock yearling Splake in even years starting in 2022 at a rate of 2 pounds per acre (56 pounds) with a target size of 5 fish per pound (280 fish). A gill net only survey was conducted in late fall of 2022 to evaluate over-summer survival and growth from reduced density yearling Splake. Splake were captured at a rate of 11.5 per gill net suggesting good first summer survival of stocked fish. Lengths ranged from 10.2 to 13.2 inches and fish appeared to be from the 2022 stocking. The catch rate was high compared to previous gill net catch rates for Rainbow Trout, even though Rainbow Trout have been stocked at much higher densities. Splake can live longer and attain larger sizes than most stream trout species. The lack of larger splake may indicate high angling mortality or poor survival of stocked fingerlings. A good fishery for larger splake may develop if survival from the 2022 stocking remains favorable. Rainbow Trout were last stocked in 2021 and were sampled at a rate of 1.5 per gill net indicating that multiple year survival had occurred. Sampled Rainbow Trout averaged around 12 inches, suggesting poor growth or high harvest rates of faster growing trout. The results resembled past surveys which indicate that few Rainbow Trout survive beyond their first year in Pickerel Lake. Golden Shiner and White Sucker have been relatively abundant but are undesirable because they compete with stocked trout. Golden Shiners were captured at a rate of 11.5 per gill net suggesting an abundant population. White Sucker were not sampled in 2022.

Minnesota DNR survey narrative, October 3, 2022.

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