Trout Lake (St. Louis County)
St. Louis County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 69049800
DNR records show 3 stocking entries at Trout Lake (St. Louis County) since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2024 (1,613,000 fish).
- Trout Lake (St. Louis County) has 3 DNR stocking records across 3 years (2016-2024): lake trout (2), walleye (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 1,613,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 98 ft; surface area 7,425 acres, 1,613 littoral acres, 68.6 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 14.6 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bluegill, cisco species, lake trout, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 7 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- St. Louis County, nearest town Tower; DNR lake number (DOW) 69049800.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 6/17/1958 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 1,613,000 | 14.1 |
| 2018 | Lake Trout | yearlings | 39,803 | 3,933.1 |
| 2016 | Lake Trout | yearlings | 28,097 | 2,621.0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| CA | USF | - Old truck portage from Lake Vermilion - 160 rods. |
| CA | USF | - Portage from Lake Vermiliion - 36 rods. |
| CA | USF | - Portage from Merritt Lake - 160 rods. |
| CA | USF | - Portage from Oriniack Lake - 160 rods. |
| CA | USF | - Portage from Pine Lake - 240 rods. |
| CA | USF | - Portage from Pine Creek - 80 rods. |
| CA | USF | - Portage from Norway Creek Road - 700 rods. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
Temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Trout Lake on August 5th, 2025. This was done to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Trout, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake (Cisco, also known as 'Tullibee', are also present). Lake Trout require a layer of oxythermal habitat that contains water temperatures below 8.8 degrees C (47.8 degrees F) and dissolved oxygen concentrations above 3.0 mg/L. Based on data collected from the deepest basin (maximum sampled depth was 85.3 feet), the water temperature decreased to 8.8 degrees C (47.8 degrees F) at 59.0 feet and the dissolved oxygen concentration stayed greater than 3.0 mg/L for the entire sampled depth. This layer in the water column was 26.2 feet, indicating oxythermal habitat for Lake Trout was present. Further, the temperature at which dissolved oxygen decreased to 3.0 mg/L (i.e., TDO3, a single variable to characterize oxythermal habitat) was never reached because dissolved oxygen remained above 3.0 mg/L throughout the sampled depths. In this case, the minimum temperature, 7.9 degrees C (46.2 degrees F), was substituted as TDO3. TDO3 values cooler than 8.8 degrees C (47.8 degrees F) indicate that oxythermal conditions were suitable for Lake Trout at the time of the survey. Data collected by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources during the period of maximum oxythermal stress (July 26th to Aug 24th) in 4 years during 2006-2023 indicated unsuitable oxythermal habitat in most years surveyed, with unfavorable conditions recorded in 2006, 2008, 2010 when there was no suitable oxythermal habitat layer. When adequate oxythermal habitat is not available, Lake Trout are squeezed into unfavorable, warmer water conditions and experience higher levels of stress. Despite the low values for oxythermal habitat since 2006, the latest three fisheries surveys, in 2014, 2018, and 2022, caught moderate numbers of Lake Trout in deewater nets.
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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