Sylvan Lake (Cass County)
Cass County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 11024600
DNR records show 1 stocking entry at Sylvan Lake (Cass County) since 2024, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2024 (645 fish).
- Sylvan Lake (Cass County) has 1 DNR stocking record across 1 year (2024-2024): walleye (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 645 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 26 ft; surface area 113 acres, 63 littoral acres, 1.8 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Cass County, nearest town Backus; DNR lake number (DOW) 11024600.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 645 | 43.0 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| earthen ramp | county | - NOT A DESIGNATED PUBLIC ACCESS. LOCATED OFF STATE HWY 87 |
DNR fish survey, 1994
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 83.44 | 751 | 0.09 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 44.67 | 402 | 0.38 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 1.22 | 11 | 2.73 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 1.22 | 11 | 0.25 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 1.11 | 10 | 0.11 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 1.53 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 6.83 |
| Bluegill | Survey seining | 67.00 | 201 | 0.08 |
| BCS | Survey seining | 65.00 | 195 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | Survey seining | 5.00 | 15 | 0.05 |
| Yellow perch | Survey seining | 4.33 | 13 | 0.01 |
| Johnny darter | Survey seining | 1.33 | 4 | 0.00 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 26.75 | 107 | 0.37 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 7.25 | 29 | 2.81 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 6.50 | 26 | 0.12 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 12 | 0.07 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 2.75 | 11 | 0.24 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.75 | 7 | 1.03 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 4 | 3.51 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.25 | 1 | 0.65 |
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.
Sylvan is a 98-acre lake located in northern Cass County. It has a maximum depth of 26 feet with 64 percent ofthe lake less than 15 feet deep. State Highway 87 abuts the north end of the lake. Though it is not a designatedpublic access, some anglers launch boats at the lake's northwest corner along the state highway right-of-way.The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has categorized Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classesbased on each lake's physical or chemical characteristics. Sylvan is in Lake Class 29. Other local lakes in thisclassification include Beuber (7 miles west), Pine (12 miles north) and Rainy (3 miles west). The only previoussurvey work on Sylvan was an August 1966 lake survey.The catch rate of walleye (1.0 fish per experimental gill net), was within the middle range for lakes of thistype. Sylvan could be described as having somewhat lower numbers of large walleye. Walleye ranged from 20.0 to26.9 inches, had an average length of 22.5 inches, and an average weight of 4.2 lbs. Walleye were 6 to 8 yearsold and average length at age 5 for these fish was 19.5 inches. No walleye were caught during the 1966 survey,but the 1966 survey states "occasionally a large walleye is caught".The gill net catch rate of northern pike was 7.3 fish/net, which is within the middle range for lakes of thistype. Northern pike ranged from 8.0 to 35.2 inches, and had an average length of 21.2 inches. Average size ofnorthern pike sampled in 1994 was larger than in 1966. The average weight in 1994 was 2.8 lbs compared to 1.4 lbsin 1966. Growth rates appeared to be similar to other Class 29 lakes in this area. An average northern pikewould be 22.7 inches when it became 5 years old. Gill net catch of yellow perch in 1994 (6.5 fish/net) was within the middle range for this lake type. Yellowperch ranged from 5.0 to 8.9 inches and most of the measured yellow perch were 5 or 6 inches long. Bluegill trap net catch rates in 1994 (107.3 fish/net) and 1966 (67.6 fish/net) both exceeded the middle rangefor Lake Class 29. Most bluegill sampled in 1994 were small; about 80 percent were in the 4-inch and 5-inchlength groups. Average weight in 1994 was 0.1 lbs/fish compared to 0.3 lbs/fish in 1966. Growth of bluegill in1994 was slow. By the time they reached age 5, the average bluegill was just 4.5 inches long.The 1994 trap net catch rate of black crappie (1.6 fish/net) was within the middle range for this lake type butwas less than one-tenth of the 1966 catch rate (20.0 fish/net). Gill net catch of black crappie in 1994 (2.8fish/net) was near the average for this…
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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