Savanna Lake
Aitkin County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 01001400
DNR records show 3 stocking entries at Savanna Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2018 (64,000 fish).
- Savanna Lake has 3 DNR stocking records across 3 years (2016-2018): walleye (3).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 192,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 23 ft, mean depth 13 ft; surface area 101 acres, 63 littoral acres, 2.1 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 3.8 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Aitkin County, nearest town McGregor; DNR lake number (DOW) 01001400.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 64,000 | 0.6 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 64,000 | 0.6 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 64,000 | 0.6 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| O | Minnesota DNR | - State Park access through a group camp site when the site is empty; or by group campers. |
| earthen ramp | Minnesota DNR | - New walk-in access east of Garni cabin on the east side of the lake. |
DNR fish survey, 2017
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 22.00 | 66 | 0.22 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 16.33 | 49 | 0.08 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 7.00 | 21 | 3.48 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 3 | 0.88 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 2 | 7.89 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 1 | 1.11 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 1 | 0.12 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 1 | 0.22 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 6.56 | 59 | 0.19 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 6.22 | 56 | 0.30 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard trap nets | 2.11 | 19 | 3.80 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 2.11 | 19 | 0.19 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.78 | 7 | 2.71 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 0.12 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 1.15 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.65 |
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.
Savanna Lake is located within Savanna Portage State Park north of McGregor. State Park facilities on the lake include a boat launch, a group camp and the Garni Cabin, all of which are located on the east side of the lake. Savanna Lake has a history of an occasional winterkill, however the last was reported in the 1970s. The lake is a very popular destination for the State Park visitors and local residents. The current management plan for Savanna Lake called for a standard survey to be completed in 2017. The primary goal of this survey was to monitor trends with the fish populations, particularly bluegill, northern pike, black crappie and walleye, which make up the lake's main management species. Another objective of the survey was to assess a walleye fry stocking program that began in 2012, in an effort to establish a walleye fishery for State Park anglers. Savanna is one of the few lakes in the area that consistently produces large bluegills and typifies occasional partial winterkill lakes. The trap net catch rate for bluegill at 6.2/trap net is on the lower end of the normal range for this lake class and represented a decrease in catch rate from last survey. The mean size however, was good at 7.1 inches and 34 percent were larger than 8 inches. The catch rate and size structure fall within the desired management goals for the lake. The northern pike abundance at 7/gill net is near the top of the range for this type of lake and above the long term average for the lake of 6.4/gill net going back to 1970. Pike offer a good size structure for a small lake. The mean size of pike was 24.3 inches, with individuals measuring as large as 35 inches. Approximately 24% of pike sampled were longer than 28 inches, meeting the management expectations for the lake. Black crappie abundance can vary greatly in many lakes depending on year class strength, but have been pretty consistent on Savanna over the years. This year's 2017 catch rate of 22/gill net was the highest documented for this lake, which has a historical average of around 13/gillnet. The average size was not exceptional at 7.5 inches, but there was a good percentage (39%) larger than 8 inches with individuals up to 10 inches observed in the sample. Low numbers of walleye have been sampled periodically in Savanna Lake throughout survey history, the last in 2003. It's thought they are able to reach the lake during high water periods through the Savanna River, which is a tributary of the Prairie River and connected to Big Sandy Lake. Experimental walleye fry stocking began in 2012, to see if they could…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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