Prairie Lake (Itasca County)
Itasca County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 31038400
DNR records show 5 stocking entries at Prairie Lake (Itasca County) since 2021, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (800,000 fish).
- Prairie Lake (Itasca County) has 5 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2021-2025): walleye (5).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 4,150,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 31 ft; surface area 1,331 acres, 853 littoral acres, 21.5 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 4.2 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, burbot, golden redhorse, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, and 6 more.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Itasca County, nearest town Grand Rapids; DNR lake number (DOW) 31038400.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/18/1955 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 800,000 | 7.5 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 800,000 | 7.5 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 800,000 | 8.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 850,000 | 8.5 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 900,000 | 9.0 |
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 | Off east end of pennisula on NW side of lake. |
| concrete ramp | TOW | Located on lower Prairie- east of dam. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 11.00 | 132 | 0.19 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 10.67 | 128 | 0.09 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 7.17 | 86 | 2.30 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 4.67 | 56 | 0.12 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 1.17 | 14 | 2.22 |
| Shorthead redhorse | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 8 | 2.02 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 0.58 | 7 | 2.71 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 6 | 0.51 |
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.
Prairie Lake is a 1,064-acre lake about four miles north of Grand Rapids in the Mississippi River watershed. Most of the lake (about 80%) is less than 15 feet deep, so fish have a lot of nearshore habitat to use. The deepest spot is 31 feet. Water clarity in summer usually ranges from about 3 to 7 feet, and the water often has a dark, bog-stained color. The Prairie River runs through two main basins (an upper/main basin and Lower Prairie). A small hydroelectric dam at the outlet blocks fish movement. The shoreline is mostly privately owned with moderate development. There are two public boat accesses: one on the northwest side of the main basin and one on the south shore of Lower Prairie. According to the 2023 Fisheries Lake Management Plan, Black Crappie are the main management species, with Walleye, Northern Pike, Bluegill, and bass as secondary species. Walleye are stocked annually with fry. A special gill-net survey was done in late June to check on Walleye stocking success and see how the lake is meeting management goals. Black Crappie numbers are strong. The gill net catch was above the management goal and similar to past surveys. Most fish were on the smaller side, ranging from 4.5 to 10.6 inches, with an average of 6.9 inches. There are decent numbers of keeper-size fish around 8 inches, but relatively few fish over 10 inches. For anglers, that means steady action and good numbers, but limited trophy potential right now. Walleye numbers remain low. The survey catch was well below the goal even though fry have been stocked every year since 2021. Only seven Walleye were caught, ranging from 11.7 to 25.2 inches. Prairie Lake is not naturally suited to produce high Walleye numbers. High Northern Pike abundance plus low Yellow Perch numbers likely make it harder for Walleye to thrive. Anglers may encounter an occasional quality fish, but Walleye fishing is expected to be inconsistent. Northern Pike numbers have been increasing. Pike were sampled at the highest rate ever observed in this lake and above the management goal. Most fish were between 13.5 and 29 inches, averaging 22 inches. However, size structure is skewed toward smaller fish, with very few pike over 28 inches. About 35% of sampled pike fell within the north-central zone protected slot limit. Pike grow at a normal rate for Minnesota waters, reaching 21 inches by about age 4. For anglers, expect good action and plenty of pike, but limited numbers of large fish. Yellow Perch numbers improved compared to the last survey and were close to average for similar lakes. However, most perch were…
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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