South Sturgeon Lake
Itasca County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 31000300
South Sturgeon Lake has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- South Sturgeon Lake shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 43 ft; surface area 204 acres, 45 littoral acres, 3.7 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 2.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, golden redhorse, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Itasca County, nearest town Chisholm; DNR lake number (DOW) 31000300.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| earthen ramp | - | DNR access at the south end of the lake (west side). |
| earthen ramp | Minnesota DNR | - Access is located in the southwest bay; just south of the inlet into the State rearing pond. |
DNR fish survey, 2016
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 5.50 | 44 | 0.23 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 2.88 | 23 | 0.22 |
| Shorthead redhorse | Standard trap nets | 1.12 | 9 | 1.90 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.75 | 6 | 1.68 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 0.50 | 4 | 1.66 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.38 | 3 | 0.08 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 0.25 | 2 | 0.30 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 0.12 | 1 | 2.20 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 3 | 0.13 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 2 | 5.27 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 0.17 | 1 | 0.24 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 0.17 | 1 | 0.85 |
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.
South Sturgeon Lake is a small, infertile lake located about 15 miles northwest of Chisholm, Minnesota. There is a public access on the southwest side of the lake. Small, accessible, infertile lakes like South Sturgeon often do not have the ability to produce high quality fisheries and are vulnerable to angling overharvest. An attribute of infertile lakes is that fish tend to grow slowly even though their numbers are low. The 2003 lake management plan (LMP) indicates Black Crappie and Northern Pike as the primary species of management with Bluegill as a secondary species. The LMP goals were established based on prior netting data. A standard survey was conducted in July of 2016 to assess the status of the fish community. Black Crappie numbers have fluctuated like all populations do but have been typical for the lake type. The 2016 trap-net catch of 2.9 fish/net approached the LMP goal of 3.0/net. The trap-net sampled fish ranged from 3.6 to 11.0 inches and averaged 6.8 inches. The sampling of five age-classes suggest fairly consistent reproduction had occurred. Growth was somewhat slower than other lakes with similar habitat. Fish averaged 8.1 inches after five years. Black Crappie may provide decent fishing opportunities following periods of good natural reproduction. Northern Pike gill-net catch rates have been low in all surveys. No Northern Pike were sampled by gill nets in 2016 so the LMP goal was not attained. However, six Northern Pike were sampled by trap nets and these fish ranged from 14.4 to 26.5 inches and averaged 20.1 inches. Anglers may want to consider releasing pike because the population appears to be quite low. Bluegill catches have been low compared to other lakes with similar habitat. The 2016 catch of 5.5 fish/trap net was typical for the lake. The sampled fish ranged from 3.4 to 9.5 inches and averaged 6.3 inches. Consistent natural reproduction was noted based on the nine age-classes sampled. Growth was slow to average compared to other lakes with similar habitat and on average it required five years of growth to attain 5.2 inches. The oldest fish were estimated to be 11 years old. The Bluegill population in South Sturgeon may provide some angling opportunities at times, but could only sustain light or modest angling pressure and harvest due to low lake productivity. Walleye catches have always been low in South Sturgeon, which is typical for the lake type. The highest catch occurred in 1955 but the catches have never been close to that level again despite frequent stockings. Only two Walleye were sampled by gill nets in each of…
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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