Portsmouth Mine Lake
Crow Wing County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 18043700
DNR records show 17 stocking entries at Portsmouth Mine Lake since 2016, most recently rainbow trout yearlings in 2025 (7,500 fish).
- Portsmouth Mine Lake has 17 DNR stocking records across 10 years (2016-2025): rainbow trout (17).
- The most-stocked species by count is rainbow trout: 70,923 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 395 ft; surface area 149 acres, 3.1 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 30.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rainbow trout, rock bass, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Crow Wing County, nearest town Armour Number Two Mine; DNR lake number (DOW) 18043700.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,500 | 2,586.2 |
| 2025 | Rainbow Trout | adults | 66 | 338.5 |
| 2024 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,000 | 2,413.8 |
| 2023 | Rainbow Trout | adults | 92 | 482.8 |
| 2023 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,000 | 2,413.8 |
| 2022 | Rainbow Trout | adults | 36 | 238.0 |
| 2022 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,000 | 2,333.3 |
| 2021 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,000 | 2,333.3 |
| 2021 | Rainbow Trout | adults | 59 | 491.7 |
| 2020 | Rainbow Trout | adults | 54 | 238.4 |
| 2020 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,000 | 2,500.0 |
| 2019 | Rainbow Trout | adults | 45 | 145.2 |
| 2019 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,000 | 2,258.1 |
| 2019 | Rainbow Trout | adults | 71 | 424.4 |
| 2018 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,000 | 2,583.0 |
| 2017 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,000 | 2,680.2 |
| 2016 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 7,000 | 2,333.3 |
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 | Minnesota DNR | North shore of small bay on west end of lake. |
DNR fish survey, 2022
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 7.11 | 64 | 0.11 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 1.56 | 14 | 0.28 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.22 | 11 | 0.20 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.22 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 0.44 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 0.19 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.85 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 2.33 | 14 | 0.56 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 2.17 | 13 | 0.19 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 2.17 | 13 | 1.19 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 1.33 | 8 | 2.39 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 1.17 | 7 | 0.26 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 1.17 | 7 | 0.32 |
| Rainbow trout | Standard gill nets | 0.83 | 5 | 0.73 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 0.17 | 1 | 0.24 |
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.
Portsmouth Lake is a former open pit iron ore mine pit located in the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area. Temperature and oxygen conditions suitable for trout occurred from a depth of about 20' down to around 70' in July. Rainbow Trout are stocked annual as yearlings (7,000/year) into Portsmouth. Rainbow Trout provide for a popular fishery, especially early in the season. Rainbow Trout were sampled at 0.8/gill net, with an average length of 12.4". Northern Pike was sampled in low numbers, when compared to similar lakes, at 1.3/gill net. Average length was 20.6" with 13% in the protected 22"-26" slot; 25% were at least 26.0" or larger. Largemouth Bass were sampled in high numbers at 2.2/gill net. Average length was 12.2", with fish up to 18.7" sampled. Bluegills were sampled in low numbers at 7.1/trap net. Most ran on the small side with an average length of 5.0", with 13% at least 7.0" in length. Portsmouth is a designated stream trout lake. Designated stream trout lakes have additional angling regulations. Be sure to consult the current Minnesota Fishing Regulations book for regulations, seasons, and possession limits before fishing designated trout waters. No invasive species have been found in Portsmouth but are in the area. Before and after launching lake users are required to inspect and remove any aquatic plants and animals from their watercraft and trailers as well as pull the plug and drain all water from the watercraft, including bilges, livewells and baitwells.
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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