Pierz Lake (Cook County)
Cook County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 16009100
DNR records show 4 stocking entries at Pierz Lake (Cook County) since 2017, most recently splake fingerlings in 2023 (4,000 fish).
- Pierz Lake (Cook County) has 4 DNR stocking records across 4 years (2017-2023): splake (4).
- The most-stocked species by count is splake: 14,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 28 ft, mean depth 13 ft; surface area 89 acres, 51 littoral acres, 2.7 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 10.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: green sunfish, smallmouth bass, splake, white sucker.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Cook County, nearest town Grand Marais; DNR lake number (DOW) 16009100.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Splake | fingerlings | 4,000 | 159.4 |
| 2021 | Splake | fingerlings | 4,000 | 102.8 |
| 2020 | Splake | fingerlings | 2,000 | 64.9 |
| 2017 | Splake | fingerlings | 4,000 | 196.1 |
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 entirely inside the BWCAW. Access by portage from Alder Lake. |
DNR fish survey, 2013
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green sunfish | Minnow traps | 23.75 | 95 | 0.00 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 18.50 | 37 | 1.38 |
| Green sunfish | Standard gill nets | 10.50 | 21 | 0.07 |
| Splake | Standard gill nets | 5.50 | 11 | 4.44 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard gill nets | 2.50 | 5 | 1.45 |
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.
This assessment was done in an attempt to confirm angler reports of high numbers of smallmouth bass in this lake, and to evaluate recent stocking efforts. The presence of smallmouth bass was confirmed. The 2013 splake gill net catch was similar to the catch observed in the 2005 assessment, and was well within the normal range (2.8 - 14.3 fish/net) for fall assessments of stream trout lakes in this area. Splake collected in 2013 were unusually large; their mean weight was well above the upper end of the normal range (1.27 lb/fish) for splake taken in fall assessments in this area. Splake collected in 2013 appeared to have been in excellent condition, suggesting forage remained adequate despite competition from white sucker, green sunfish, and smallmouth bass. Most of the splake taken in 2013 were six-year-old fish from the 2007 fingerling stocking. The capture of so many fish of that age indicated excellent long-term survival in this lake, compared to other splake lakes in the area. More recent stockings had apparently not contributed as much to the population. Predation from large splake, and from smallmouth bass, may have limited survival of more recent stockings. As the 2007 splake year class dies out, predation pressure may relax, and we may see better survival of stocked fish. Smallmouth bass were reported by anglers in this lake as early as May 2004. None were collected in the 2005 assessment, but several anglers reported catching them between 2004 and 2013. Smallmouth bass are rarely found in stream trout lakes in this area. The 2013 gill net catch in Pierz lake fell within the normal range for the lake class, but given the small number of net sets, and difficulties sampling bass in gill nets, that catch was probably not a good indicator of smallmouth bass abundance (or size) in this lake. The most that could be said was that smallmouth bass were present, and some were large enough to have preyed on stocked splake (although there was no direct evidence they had done so). Green sunfish and white sucker both appeared to have been abundant in 2013, based on gill net catches for both species that exceeded normal ranges for the lake class. Both species could compete with splake for invertebrate forage, but splake may also prey on small green sunfish, as lake trout have been observed to do in other lakes in this area.
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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