Ruby Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 31042200
DNR records show 5 stocking entries at Ruby Lake since 2017, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2025 (1,620 fish).
- Ruby Lake has 5 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2017-2025): walleye (5).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 10,524 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 88 ft; surface area 235 acres, 90 littoral acres, 4.4 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 16.7 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Itasca County, nearest town Grand Rapids; DNR lake number (DOW) 31042200.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 8/1/1980 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 1,620 | 90.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 2,094 | 90.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 2,610 | 90.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 2,850 | 89.1 |
| 2017 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 1,350 | 90.0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| gravel ramp | USF | Narrow trail and limited parking. |
DNR fish survey, 2017
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 6.33 | 38 | 2.24 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 3.67 | 22 | 0.06 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 3.17 | 19 | 1.43 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 18 | 0.20 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 2.50 | 15 | 0.11 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 1.83 | 11 | 0.05 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.33 | 8 | 0.49 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 3 | 4.32 |
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.
Ruby Lake is located seven miles southeast of Marcell, MN in the Big Fork River watershed and the Chippewa National Forest. Ruby is a deep, clear lake with steep drop-offs and a limited amount of aquatic vegetation. The 2009 lake management plan lists Walleye as the primary management species with Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass as secondary management species. Ruby Lake has generally been known as a lake that produces lower numbers of Walleye, with the opportunity to catch bigger fish (>25 inches). Recent management included stocking Walleye fingerlings in odd numbered years at one pound/littoral acre. A targeted survey (gill nets only) was conducted in early July 2017 to evaluate the success of the stocking and collect updated information on the fishery. Walleye were sampled in numbers similar to past surveys and within the typical range for similar lakes. Size structure declined from past surveys. Walleye ranged from 9.4 to 22.2 inches with an average length of 15.2 inches. Ages 2, 4-6 and 9 were represented with age 2 fish making up 58% of the age distribution. Six of the previous ten years were stocked year classes, and 95% of the sample corresponded to stocked years. Growth was average with Walleye attaining 17.3 inches at age 5. Northern Pike numbers declined slightly from previous surveys but were within the typical range for similar lakes. Size structure was modest; pike ranged from 15.4 to 29.3 inches with an average length of 21.8 inches. Ages 2-5 and 7 were represented with ages 2 and 4 the most frequently sampled. Growth was average with pike attaining 21.5 inches at age 4. The Yellow Perch catch rate was similar to other recent surveys within the typical range for lakes like Ruby. Perch ranged from 5.7 to 8.5 inches. Other species sampled included Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass and White Sucker. Anglers can help maintain or improve the quality of fishing by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest allows for the harvest of smaller fish for table fare, but encourages release of medium to large sized fish. Releasing these fish can help maintain balance in the fish community in Ruby Lake and provide anglers the opportunity to catch more and larger fish in the future. Lakeshore owners may affect fish populations not only through harvesting fish, but also through land use practices. Good water quality and fish populations are the direct result of good land use practices. Shoreline habitat consists of aquatic plants, woody plants and natural lake bottom soils. Plants in the water and at the water's…
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.