Tom Lake

Cook County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data

Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 16001900

Tom Lake has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.

• Tom Lake shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of September 2, 2026.
• Maximum depth 35 ft; surface area 404 acres, 334 littoral acres, 8.2 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
• Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 8.5 ft.
• Fish species DNR lists here: burbot, lake whitefish, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
• 1 public access on the DNR list.
• Most recent DNR fish survey: July 17, 2023 (standard survey).
• Cook County, nearest town Hovland; DNR lake number (DOW) 16001900.

Depth map

Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 4/7/1947 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.

Public accesses

DNR fish survey, 2023

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.

Tom Lake is a 404 acre lake located approximately 7 miles northwest of Hovland. Public access is through a boat landing on the northwest side of the lake. Tom Lake part of the Lake Superior North watershed and is the headwater lake of the Swamp River. Tom Lake is primarily managed for walleye. The 2023 standard lake survey was conducted to monitor the fish community, record current limnological conditions, and evaluate walleye management goals currently in place for Tom Lake. Walleye abundance was in the normal range for Tom Lake and met the current management goal. Catch rates are comparable to similar area lakes. Walleye ranged from 8.5 to 26.9 inches with a mean length of 14.3 inches. Aging results indicated the presence of 8 naturally reproduced year classes with the oldest individual appearing to be 23 years old. Back calculated growth rates indicated slower growth than similar area lakes with age 5 fish averaging 14.6 inches compared to an area average of 16.0 inches. Tom Lake continues to maintain a decent walleye fishery with some large fish present. Northern pike catch rates are extremely low and had been declining since 1990. Only a single fish was found in the 2013, 2016, and 2023 surveys combined. Northern pike populations may not recover if they continue to be this low. Lake whitefish and burbot represent the coldwater fish community in Tom Lake. Lake whitefish abundance was similar to recent surveys and fell within the normal range for similar Minnesota lakes (Class 6). Like past surveys, burbot were sampled in low numbers but were large in size. Yellow perch catch rates were the highest recorded for Tom Lake and had been increasing since 2013. Catch rates were much higher than similar Minnesota lakes (Class 6). Yellow perch ranged from 5.7 to 10.5 inches with a mean length of 7.2 inches. Yellow perch not only provide excellent forage opportunity for walleye in Tom Lake but may also provide an angling opportunity for large yellow perch. White sucker abundance was higher than previous surveys and had been increasing since 2013 but remain in the normal range when compared to similar Minnesota Lakes (Class 6). Cook County, Minnesota lakes continue to be susceptible to aquatic invasive species introductions. Invasive species have the potential to significantly alter fish communities and overall lake health. Anglers should clean watercraft and fishing gear, drain all water, and dispose of unused bait in the trash to prevent accidental introductions.

Minnesota DNR survey narrative, July 17, 2023.

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