Pine Mountain Lake (Cass County)
Cass County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 11041100
DNR records show 5 stocking entries at Pine Mountain Lake (Cass County) since 2017, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (1,518,330 fish).
- Pine Mountain Lake (Cass County) has 5 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2017-2025): walleye (5).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 7,542,180 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 80 ft; surface area 1,617 acres, 737 littoral acres, 9.4 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 7.4 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, burbot, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), and 4 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Cass County, nearest town Backus; DNR lake number (DOW) 11041100.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 9/4/1957 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 1,518,330 | 13.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 1,502,550 | 12.2 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 1,510,500 | 12.6 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 1,509,600 | 12.2 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 1,501,200 | 12.3 |
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 | city | CITY PARK IN BACKUS |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 47.80 | 717 | 0.10 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 7.33 | 110 | 2.32 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 6.60 | 99 | 0.18 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 4.73 | 71 | 2.15 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 45 | 0.24 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.87 | 28 | 1.20 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 1.53 | 23 | 0.31 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.80 | 12 | 1.22 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 18.60 | 279 | 0.12 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 1.40 | 21 | 0.11 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 0.93 | 14 | 0.10 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.87 | 13 | 0.10 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard trap nets | 0.73 | 11 | 4.48 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.53 | 8 | 2.29 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.40 | 6 | 0.58 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.27 | 4 | 0.83 |
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.
Pine Mountain Lake (DOW # 11-0411; Lake Class 22) is a 1,612 acre lake with 737 littoral acres, 9.4 miles of shoreline, and a maximum depth of 80 feet located in Backus, MN. There is a city-owned public access on the east shore. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Pine Mountain Lake is in Lake Class 22; lakes in the class are generally clear, large, deep lakes with a low percentage of shallow water area and have irregularly shaped shorelines with many bays or points. Other area lakes in this class include Little Boy, Steamboat, Ten Mile and Wabedo. Pine Mountain Lake is primarily managed for Northern Pike and Walleye and secondarily for Tullibee (Cisco), Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie and Yellow Perch. A standard lake survey was completed in 2025. Pine Mountain Lake is an excellent Walleye and Northern Pike lake in the Walker area. Northern Pike were abundant and ranged in length from 14 to 29 inches with an average length of 22 inches. Northern Pike size restrictions and possession limits for Pine Mountain Lake are defined in the North Central Zone Northern Pike regulation and anglers are encouraged to harvest Northern Pike under 22 inches long. Walleye abundance declined slightly in the 2025 survey, and were slightly below management goals. Walleye ranged in length from 8 to 25 inches with an average length of 18 inches. Most of the Walleye sampled were between 14 and 19 inches long. Walleye fry are stocked during odd years, and eight consecutive year-classes were sampled. Bluegill abundance increased from recent surveys, exceeding management goals and provide quality angling opportunities. Bluegill ranged in length from 2 to 10 inches with an average length of 5 inches. Largemouth Bass up to 18 inches were sampled. Black Crappie ranged in length from 6 to 13 inches with an average length of 10 inches. Yellow Perch abundance increased from previous surveys and sampled perch ranged in length from 5 to 9 inches. Other fish species that anglers can expect to encounter include Bowfin (Dogfish), Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, Tullibee (Cisco), White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Currently Pine Mountain Lake is infested with Zebra Mussel, and Curly Leaf Pondweed.…
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.
Hear when the states we cover post stockings
One email a week in season: which waters in the states we cover were stocked, straight from the state agencies' own postings. No spam, no fishing-gear ads in the mail.
Free · double opt-in · unsubscribe anytime · we store only your email.