Six Mile Lake
Cass County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 11014600
DNR records show 8 stocking entries at Six Mile Lake since 2017, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (706,000 fish).
- Six Mile Lake has 8 DNR stocking records across 7 years (2017-2025): walleye (8).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 5,935,760 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 68 ft; surface area 1,323 acres, 606 littoral acres, 7.8 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 8.3 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, cisco species, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), and 4 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Cass County, nearest town Bena; DNR lake number (DOW) 11014600.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/27/1976 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye3 | fry | 706,000 | 6.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 607,500 | 5.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye3 | fry | 734,995 | 6.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 606,825 | 5.1 |
| 2021 | Walleye3 | fry | 789,000 | 6.6 |
| 2019 | Walleye3 | fry | 632,500 | 5.1 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 607,940 | 5.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye3 | fry | 1,251,000 | 10.5 |
3 fish cooperatively purchased, raised, and/or stocked by Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.
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 | USF | USFS concrete ramp on the east shore of the lake. - At the USFS campground on the east shore of the lake. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 21.42 | 257 | 0.13 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 8.75 | 105 | 1.16 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 5.17 | 62 | 1.72 |
| Tullibee (cisco) | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 24 | 2.17 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 1.83 | 22 | 0.75 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 1.17 | 14 | 2.13 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 1.17 | 14 | 0.24 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 0.75 | 9 | 0.22 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 2.75 | 33 | 0.16 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 2.00 | 24 | 0.11 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.75 | 21 | 0.10 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard trap nets | 0.25 | 3 | 5.45 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 0.25 | 3 | 0.48 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.17 | 2 | 0.03 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.08 | 1 | 1.63 |
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.
Six Mile Lake is a 1,323-acre lake with 606 littoral acres, 7.77 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 68 feet located southeast of Bena, MN in the Chippewa National Forest. A US Forest Service owned public access and campground is located on the northeast shore. The DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Six Mile Lake is in Lake Class 27; lakes in this class are fairly large and deep, supporting diverse fisheries. Other area lakes in this class include Ada, Crooked, Lower Sucker, Pleasant, and Webb Lake. The lake is primarily managed for Northern Pike, Walleye, and Yellow Perch and secondarily for Largemouth Bass and Cisco. Six Mile Lake provides multi-species angling opportunity. Walleye abundance was above the management goal and lengths ranged from 9 to 22 inches with multiple age classes present in catch. Northern Pike abundance was within the management goal range, though size goals were not met. Pike measured between 14 and 32 inches and averaged 20 inches long. Yellow Perch abundance was below management goals, though size goals were achieved with the average perch measuring 7 inches. Bluegill abundance was low in 2025 however, quality fish were sampled. Cisco catch has shown a declining trend since early surveys. Other fish species that anglers can expect to encounter include, Black Bullhead, Bowfin, Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Currently, no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Six Mile Lake. AIS are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local natural resource office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Walker Area Fisheries office.
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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