Ponto Lake
Cass County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 11023400
DNR records show 6 stocking entries at Ponto Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2024 (897 fish).
- Ponto Lake has 6 DNR stocking records across 6 years (2016-2024): walleye (6).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 11,809 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 60 ft; surface area 388 acres, 102 littoral acres, 4.5 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 18.2 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, smallmouth bass, 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) 11023400.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | fingerlings | 897 | 145.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 3,264 | 102.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 1,530 | 102.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 1,020 | 102.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 1,530 | 102.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 3,568 | 101.9 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| asphalt ramp | Minnesota DNR | STATE-OWNED PUBLIC ACCESS ON SOUTHEAST SHORE OF LAKE. |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 7.56 | 68 | 0.25 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 6.33 | 57 | 1.38 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 6.00 | 54 | 0.98 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 5.67 | 51 | 1.95 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 4.00 | 36 | 0.74 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 1.78 | 16 | 0.20 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 1.11 | 10 | 1.17 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 6 | 0.12 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 4.33 | 39 | 0.10 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 1.89 | 17 | 0.14 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.78 | 7 | 0.64 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 6 | 0.46 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.09 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 2.23 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 0.06 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 0.31 |
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.
Ponto Lake is a 388-acre lake located northeast of Backus, Minnesota. A DNR owned public access is located on the southeast shore. Ponto Lake has 4.53 miles of shoreline, 102 littoral acres and a maximum depth of 60 feet. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Ponto Lake is in Lake Class 23; lakes in this class tend to be deep, clear, have a low percentage of littoral area (less than 15 feet deep), and hard water. Other area lakes in this class include Baby, Mule, Grave, and Jack lakes. The lake is primarily managed for Northern Pike and Walleye, and secondarily for Bluegill, Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass and Yellow Perch. Northern Pike were caught in moderate numbers and were within the management goal for abundance but did not meet size management goals. Sampled Northern Pike ranged in length from 15 to 29 inches, with an average length of 21 inches and average weight of 2.0 pounds. The Walleye catch rate exceeded the minimum management goal for the first time since 2006. Walleye lengths ranged from 13 to 25 inches with an average length of 16 inches. Bluegill were caught at moderate levels and were generally small. The Bluegill catch did not meet the management goal and fish ranged in length from 3 to 8 inches. Black Crappie were caught at moderate numbers and met the management goals. Black Crappie lengths ranged from 8 to 15 inches. Largemouth Bass were abundant with fish from 5 to 17 inches sampled. Yellow Perch catches remained below the management goal with only six fish sampled. Past surveys have sampled low numbers of Smallmouth Bass however, none were sampled in this survey. Other species sampled in Ponto Lake include Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, 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, no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Ponto Lake. AIS are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a…
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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