Swan Lake (Itasca County)
Itasca County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 31006700
DNR records show 9 stocking entries at Swan Lake (Itasca County) since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (800,000 fish).
- Swan Lake (Itasca County) has 9 DNR stocking records across 9 years (2016-2025): walleye (9).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 8,213,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 65 ft; surface area 2,456 acres, 507 littoral acres, 17.5 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 14.1 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, burbot, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, shorthead redhorse, silver redhorse, smallmouth bass, and 5 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Itasca County, nearest town Pengilly; DNR lake number (DOW) 31006700.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 800,000 | 7.5 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 741,600 | 7.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 741,600 | 7.4 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 741,600 | 7.4 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 741,600 | 7.4 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 741,600 | 6.2 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 1,235,000 | 12.3 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 1,235,000 | 12.3 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 1,235,000 | 12.3 |
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 | Minnesota DNR | Two miles southeast of Pengilly, on HWY 65 at lake narrows. - Good access with ample parking. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 48.67 | 730 | 0.08 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 15.27 | 229 | 0.35 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 7.33 | 110 | 2.41 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 7.33 | 110 | 1.30 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 2.87 | 43 | 2.33 |
| Tullibee (cisco) | Standard gill nets | 1.60 | 24 | 1.76 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 1.20 | 18 | 0.07 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 0.73 | 11 | 0.39 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 11.33 | 170 | 0.08 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 4.00 | 60 | 0.08 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 1.87 | 28 | 0.41 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 1.40 | 21 | 0.83 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 1.07 | 16 | 0.86 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 0.73 | 11 | 0.20 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 5 | 1.19 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.27 | 4 | 1.48 |
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.
Swan Lake is a 2,472-acre lake located on the south side of Pengilly, MN. There is one public access and the shoreline is highly developed with almost 500 homes/cabins. The lake management plan lists Walleye and Northern Pike as the primary species of management. In 2005, a 17-to 26-inch protected slot length limit with only one Walleye over 26 inches in possession was implemented. In 2020, the Walleye regulation was modified to 20 to 24 inch protected slot length limit with only one fish over 24 inches in possession to better align with other area lakes. The 2025 standard survey was conducted to help evaluate management activities, including the special Walleye regulation and current stocking strategy. A noticeable expansion of the Bluegill population has occurred in Swan Lake in recent surveys. Trap nets are effective at sampling Bluegill during the spring and early summer but Bluegill, particularly larger fish, often move offshore during the summer resulting in lower trap net catches. In 2025, gill nets captured Bluegill throughout the lake for the first time. Bluegill ranged from 3.4 to 10.3 inches and averaged 7.1 inches. Roughly 40% of the sampled fish were 8 inches or longer. Nine age-classes were documented with fish ranging from age 2 to 12. Growth was fast compared to other lakes with similar habitat and Bluegill averaged 8.0 inches after six years. Northern Pike gill-net catches were low from 1948 through 1975 but have been above average in all but one survey since. In the last five surveys, catches exceeded the management goal of 5.0 fish/net and was 7.3 fish/net in 2025. Higher catches are not desirable because they often result in slower growth and poor size quality for pike. In 2025, pike ranged from 17.0 to 30.3 inches and averaged 22.3 inches. The size structure goals were not achieved. Fish from age 2 to 8 were documented with the 2022 year-class representing 61% of the sample. Pike growth was similar to statewide averages with fish averaging 22.8 inches after four years. Smallmouth Bass were sampled in Swan Lake for the first time in 2025. The outlet of Swan Lake becomes the Swan River that eventually flows to the Mississippi River (potential source of the Smallmouth Bass). There is a dam about a mile from the western basin of Swan Lake that likely restricts upstream fish movement under most conditions. Six Smallmouth Bass were sampled; five fish from gill nets ranged from 13.4 to 18.0 inches while the one sampled in trap nets was 4.7 inches. Local residents confirmed the presence of Smallmouth Bass is a recent development for the…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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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.
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