Trout Lake (Cook County)
Cook County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 16004900
DNR records show 13 stocking entries at Trout Lake (Cook County) since 2016, most recently rainbow trout yearlings in 2025 (8,000 fish).
- Trout Lake (Cook County) has 13 DNR stocking records across 10 years (2016-2025): rainbow trout (13).
- The most-stocked species by count is rainbow trout: 84,999 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 77 ft; surface area 259 acres, 59 littoral acres, 3.2 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 18.6 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: brook trout, lake trout, rainbow smelt, rainbow trout, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Cook County, nearest town Grand Marais; DNR lake number (DOW) 16004900.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/1/1964 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 8,000 | 2,807.9 |
| 2024 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 8,000 | 2,712.6 |
| 2023 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 8,000 | 2,666.7 |
| 2022 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 8,000 | 2,666.7 |
| 2021 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 8,000 | 2,807.9 |
| 2020 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 8,000 | 2,758.6 |
| 2019 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 4,000 | 1,333.3 |
| 2018 | Rainbow Trout | fingerlings | 7,000 | 583.3 |
| 2018 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 3,999 | 1,428.2 |
| 2017 | Rainbow Trout | fingerlings | 7,000 | 411.8 |
| 2017 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 4,000 | 1,333.3 |
| 2016 | Rainbow Trout | fingerlings | 7,000 | 466.7 |
| 2016 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 4,000 | 1,431.6 |
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| CA | USF | Carry-in access to NW corner of lake from USFS Rd. 308. Parking for four vehicles. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pearl dace | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 9.50 | 95 | 0.00 |
| Creek chub | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 8.20 | 82 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 4.50 | 45 | 0.00 |
| Golden shiner | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 3.20 | 32 | 0.00 |
| Blacknose shiner | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 1.30 | 13 | 0.00 |
| FND | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 0.70 | 7 | 0.00 |
| Northern redbelly dace | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 0.30 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Brook trout | Trapnet - Mini Fyke | 0.10 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Central mudminnow | Backpack electrofishing | 7.00 | 9 | 0.00 |
| Iowa darter | Backpack electrofishing | 6.22 | 8 | 0.00 |
| Pearl dace | Backpack electrofishing | 4.66 | 6 | 0.00 |
| FND | Backpack electrofishing | 4.66 | 6 | 0.00 |
| Creek chub | Backpack electrofishing | 3.11 | 4 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | Backpack electrofishing | 1.55 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | 15-ft beach seine | 4.40 | 44 | 0.00 |
| Golden shiner | 15-ft beach seine | 1.70 | 17 | 0.00 |
| Creek chub | 15-ft beach seine | 1.30 | 13 | 0.00 |
| Iowa darter | 15-ft beach seine | 0.20 | 2 | 0.00 |
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.
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Trout Lake was conducted on August 18- 20, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment Program staff. Ten nearshore sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each were sampled by backpack electrofishing, mini-fyke nets, and seining with a 15-foot seine. Nearshore sampling captured 10 species of fish, including three species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Blacknose Shiner, Brook Trout, and Iowa Darter) and none that are tolerant of disturbance. Trout Lake was selected for a within season repeat survey to evaluate variability of survey results, therefore you may note two similar looking surveys in 2025. The nearshore data collected in this survey along with gill net and standard trap net data will be used to develop fish community models for Northeast Minnesota lakes, which will be used to monitor lake health in this region. These models may function similarly to fish IBI models developed for lakes across much of the rest of the state. For additional information, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. You can help protect the fish community in Trout Lake by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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