Skull Lake

Lake County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data

Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 38062400

DNR records show 9 stocking entries at Skull Lake since 2016, most recently brook trout yearlings in 2025 (870 fish).

Skull Lake has 9 DNR stocking records across 9 years (2016-2025): brook trout (9).
The most-stocked species by count is brook trout: 7,538 fish on record.
Maximum depth 38 ft; surface area 29 acres, 11 littoral acres, 0.9 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
Fish species DNR lists here: brook trout, largemouth bass, white sucker.
1 public access on the DNR list.
Most recent DNR fish survey: May 10, 2023 (standard survey).
Lake County, nearest town Ely; DNR lake number (DOW) 38062400.

Stocking history

Year	Species	Size	Number	Pounds
2025	Brook Trout	yearlings	870	238.4
2024	Brook Trout	yearlings	870	146.2
2023	Brook Trout	yearlings	870	201.9
2022	Brook Trout	yearlings	870	94.6
2021	Brook Trout	yearlings	870	494.3
2019	Brook Trout	yearlings	870	388.4
2018	Brook Trout⁸	yearlings	873	40.8
2017	Brook Trout⁸	yearlings	885	51.8
2016	Brook Trout⁸	yearlings	560	90.3

⁸ fish cooperatively purchased, raised, and/or stocked by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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	150 yard portage from Newfound Lake on a paddle-only route in BWCAW.

DNR fish survey, 2023

Species	Gear	Catch per net	Total catch	Avg lb
Brook trout	Standard gill nets	1.25	5	1.83

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.

Skull Lake is located 18 miles northeast of Ely in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The lake can be accessed by a 27-rod portage from Newfound Lake. Summer visitors are reminded to obtain the proper day use permits from the US Forest Service, which are available in advance or at the public access on Moose Lake. No permits are required during the winter, and there are no campsites on Skull Lake. This 59-acre lake is a designated stream trout lake that is stocked with brook trout in odd years. The lake has a maximum depth of 38 feet and clear water. Brook trout were sampled at a rate of 1.3 fish/net, which was below average for the lake. However, fish sizes were better than in recent surveys, with an average length of nearly 17 inches and average weights of almost 2 pounds. Brook trout were feeding on a variety of invertebrates including various insects, leeches, snails, and crayfish. Although not sampled in this survey, largemouth bass are present in Skull Lake. In 2017, largemouth bass averaged 15 inches in length with individuals up to 18 inches present. Anglers are reminded that they must have a valid trout stamp to fish this designated stream trout lake even if they are targeting bass.

Minnesota DNR survey narrative, May 10, 2023.

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.

Skull Lake

Stocking history

Public accesses

DNR fish survey, 2023

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