Portage Lake (Cass County, DOW 11047600)
Cass County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 11047600
DNR records show 8 stocking entries at Portage Lake (Cass County, DOW 11047600) since 2017, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (47,730 fish).
- Portage Lake (Cass County, DOW 11047600) has 8 DNR stocking records across 8 years (2017-2025): walleye (8).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 389,250 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 84 ft; surface area 277 acres, 95 littoral acres, 3.1 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 20.0 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).
- Cass County, nearest town Hackensack; DNR lake number (DOW) 11047600.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 10/25/1989 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 47,730 | 0.4 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 48,285 | 0.4 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 48,600 | 0.4 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 48,285 | 0.4 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 49,025 | 0.4 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 48,960 | 0.4 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 49,765 | 0.4 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 48,600 | 0.4 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| earthen ramp | Minnesota DNR | South shore off County Rd. #50. Earth access. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 13.44 | 121 | 0.19 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.56 | 14 | 0.24 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.89 | 8 | 0.36 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.72 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.12 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 0.23 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 2.39 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 2.85 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 7.50 | 45 | 0.13 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 4.83 | 29 | 3.31 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 4.00 | 24 | 1.91 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 2.67 | 16 | 0.05 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 12 | 0.08 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 1.83 | 11 | 1.95 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.83 | 11 | 0.32 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 3 | 0.34 |
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.
Portage Lake (DOW# 11-0476; Lake Class 23) is a 277-acre lake with 95 littoral acres, 3.1 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 84 feet located near Hackensack, MN. A US Forest Service owned public access is located on the south shore. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Portage Lake is in Lake Class 23; lakes in this class tend to be deep, have a low percentage of area less than 15 feet deep, have hard water and are very clear. Other area lakes in this class include Hay, Horseshoe, Island, Mule, Ponto and Stony lakes. The lake is primarily managed for Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass, and secondarily for Bluegill, Walleye and Yellow Perch. A catch and release regulation for Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass was implemented in 1996. In 2018, this regulation was modified to a 14 to 20 inch Protected Slot Limit (PSL) with one fish over 20 inches allowed in possession. The purpose of this survey was to assess Northern Pike, Walleye, and Yellow Perch populations and evaluate Walleye fry stocking. A standard lake survey was completed in the summer of 2025. Portage lake is a great multi species lake with potential to produce trophy sized fish. Black Crappie were caught in low numbers with fish from 5 to 12 inches sampled. Management goals are based on spring trap netting which was not conducted in 2025. Low numbers of Largemouth Bass were sampled with fish from 6 to 12 inches. A targeted survey using electrofishing was conducted in the spring of 2025 for Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass (see targeted survey for details). Northern Pike abundance met management goals and lengths ranged from 13 to 39 inches, Northern Pike size goals were partially met in the 2025 survey. Smallmouth Bass were sampled with fish from 5 to 17 inches present. Bluegill catch rates were below the management goal, but met size goals. Bluegills measuring up to 8 inches were present. Walleye abundance was below the management goal and lengths ranged from 9 to 22 inches long. Yellow Perch abundance was below the management goal and lengths ranged from 5 to 9 inches. Other fish species sampled include Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed Sunfish and White Sucker. 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. No aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been…
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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