Shoe Lake
Cook County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 16008000
DNR records show 9 stocking entries at Shoe Lake since 2016, most recently brook trout fingerlings in 2025 (2,000 fish).
- Shoe Lake has 9 DNR stocking records across 9 years (2016-2025): splake (8), brook trout (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is splake: 17,042 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 17 ft; surface area 26 acres, 25 littoral acres, 1.1 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 7.3 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: brook trout, splake.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Cook County, nearest town Grand Marais; DNR lake number (DOW) 16008000.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Brook Trout | fingerlings | 2,000 | 79.9 |
| 2024 | Splake | fingerlings | 2,520 | 79.3 |
| 2023 | Splake | fingerlings | 2,000 | 79.7 |
| 2022 | Splake | fingerlings | 2,000 | 52.9 |
| 2021 | Splake | fingerlings | 2,500 | 64.3 |
| 2020 | Splake | fingerlings | 2,000 | 64.9 |
| 2019 | Splake | fingerlings | 2,022 | 76.0 |
| 2018 | Splake | fingerlings | 2,000 | 90.9 |
| 2016 | Splake | fingerlings | 2,000 | 45.5 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| CA | USF |
DNR fish survey, 2016
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brook trout | Standard gill nets | 12.50 | 25 | 0.93 |
| Splake | Standard gill nets | 9.50 | 19 | 1.49 |
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.
Shoe Lake is a designated stream trout lake, currently managed for Splake and Brook Trout. This was the last survey done to evaluate Brook Trout stocking; the 2014 lake management plan (LMP) discontinued that stocking after 2016, and none will remain when the next scheduled survey is done (in 2021). Instead of alternating Brook Trout with Splake, stocking after 2016 will consist of annual stocking of Splake fingerlings. The long range goal for that program is to maintain a minimum Splake gill net catch of 10.0 fish/set (a relatively high catch), with a minimum of three year classes present, and some fish reaching 20 inches in length. Splake were selected mainly for their greater longevity, which allows them to reach larger sizes than Brook Trout in this lake. Surveys to evaluate the change in stocking are planned for 2021 and 2026. Splake and Brook Trout were abundant in Shoe Lake in the fall of 2016, and some large fish of both species were present. It seemed very likely that goals for the Splake population could be met with annual stocking, and perhaps even with less frequent stocking. Splake had been stocked only in even-numbered years prior to this survey, but the gill net catch was close to the goal, three year classes were present, and fish larger than 20 inches were caught. Splake as old as six years were taken, indicating good long term survival. Good survival, rather than fast growth, accounted for the larger fish seen in this survey. Splake growth had been slower than average; fish reached a mean length of 13.7 inches by the end of their fourth year, compared to an area average of 15.1 inches. Slow growth may have been caused by overly warm surface waters over the summer, or by high competition for forage resulting from the high number of trout apparently present in 2016. The Brook Trout gill net catch was the highest seen in this lake since 1982, and was near the upper end of the normal range (14.00 fish/set) for catches in fall surveys of stream trout lakes in this area. Stocking done in 2015 and 2013 contributed to the catch, with many three-year-old fish present. Brook Trout growth had also been somewhat slow; on average fish reached a length of 11.9 inches by the end of their third year, compared to an area average of 12.7 inches. It is possible that some fish identified as Brook Trout in this survey were actually Splake, and vice versa. Difficulty in making clear field identifications (even for Fisheries staff) has made it harder to evaluate stocking in this lake, and is one reason Brook Trout stocking will be discontinued. This survey…
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. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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