Stanton Lake
Pine County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 58011100
DNR records show 2 stocking entries at Stanton Lake since 2023, most recently walleye fry in 2024 (22,000 fish).
- Stanton Lake has 2 DNR stocking records across 2 years (2023-2024): walleye (2).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 165,500 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 12 ft, mean depth 4 ft; surface area 87 acres, 87 littoral acres, 3.6 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 3.2 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, golden redhorse, northern pike, pumpkinseed, shorthead redhorse, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Pine County, nearest town Willow River; DNR lake number (DOW) 58011100.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 22,000 | 0.2 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 143,500 | 1.3 |
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | In State Forest campground. |
DNR fish survey, 2022
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 10.00 | 20 | 1.58 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 8.50 | 17 | 1.50 |
| Shorthead redhorse | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 6 | 1.68 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 4 | 1.17 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 2 | 0.05 |
| Golden redhorse | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 1 | 2.39 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 6.22 | 56 | 0.10 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 1.22 | 11 | 0.12 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.22 | 11 | 0.10 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.78 | 7 | 0.72 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 1.16 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.25 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 1.21 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 3.11 |
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.
Stanton Lake is a 95-acre reservoir near the town of Willow River in Pine County. A public campground and boat access is located on the northeast end of the lake in General Andrews State Forest. Stanton Lake is a small, turbid, shallow lake with a relatively long shoreline. The lake is bordered to the southeast by homes and to the northwest by forest. Historically, fish abundance has been low. In 2016 the dam washed out leaving the reservoir in essentially a riverine state until the dam was replaced in 2021. The scheduled biennial stocking of walleye fry was suspended during this time. To monitor the status of the post dam replacement fish population, Stanton Lake was netted in August 2022. Catch rates for Bluegill, Black Crappie, Northern Pike and Walleye were all higher than in any of the pre-washout assessments with the Walleye catch meeting the management goal for the first time. While none of the advances were significant statistically, they do show that the gamefish populations tolerated the five years of low water levels. Although harvestable sizes are present, anglers can expect smaller sizes of pike, sunfish and crappie. Walleye and bass (based on angler reports) were larger overall. Other fishes present included Golden Redhorse, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Shorthead Redhorse, White Sucker, Yellow Bullhead and Yellow Perch.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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