Stuart Lake (St. Louis County)
St. Louis County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 69020500
DNR records show 3 stocking entries at Stuart Lake (St. Louis County) since 2018, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (118,000 fish).
- Stuart Lake (St. Louis County) has 3 DNR stocking records across 3 years (2018-2025): walleye (3).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 472,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 40 ft; surface area 776 acres, 236 littoral acres, 11.2 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 5.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: northern pike, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 4 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- St. Louis County, nearest town Ely; DNR lake number (DOW) 69020500.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 1/1/1964 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 118,000 | 1.3 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 177,000 | 1.9 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 177,000 | 2.0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| PO | USF | 74 rod/ 407 yd. portage from Stuart River |
| PO | USF | 118 rod/ 649 yd. portage from Dahlgren River |
| PO | USF | 320 rod/ 1760 yd. portage from Fox Lake |
| asphalt ramp | USF | 180 rod/ 990 yd. portage from Nibin Lake |
DNR fish survey, 2025
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Stuart Lake on August 18th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake. During the summer, Cisco require a layer of oxythermal habitat that contains water temperatures below 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) and dissolved oxygen concentrations above 3.0 mg/L. Based on the profile from the deepest basin (maximum sampled depth 36.1 feet), the water temperature decreased below 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) at 13.8 feet and the dissolved oxygen concentration decreased to 3.0 mg/L at 15.6 feet at the time of sampling. The thickness of this layer of water in the water column was 1.8 feet, indicating that oxythermal habitat was present but marginal for Cisco. Further, the temperature at which dissolved oxygen decreased to 3.0 mg/L (i.e., TDO3, a single variable to characterize oxythermal habitat) was 20.1 degrees C (68.2 degrees F). TDO3 values cooler than 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) indicate that oxythermal conditions were marginal for Cisco at the time of the survey as the layer was confined to less than 3 feet of suitable habitat at the time of the survey. Data collected by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources during the late summer period of maximum oxythermal stress (July 26th to Aug 24th) in 2024 indicated suitable oxythermal habitat, with 18.9 feet of oxythermal habitat. When inadequate oxythermal habitat is available, Cisco are squeezed into unfavorable, warmer water conditions and experience higher levels of stress.
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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