Turtle Lake (Beltrami County)
Beltrami County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 04015900
DNR records show 5 stocking entries at Turtle Lake (Beltrami County) since 2017, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (687,000 fish).
- Turtle Lake (Beltrami County) has 5 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2017-2025): walleye (5).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 3,548,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 45 ft; surface area 1,607 acres, 718 littoral acres, 11.4 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 8.9 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, northern sunfish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, tullibee (cisco), and 4 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Beltrami County, nearest town Bemidji; DNR lake number (DOW) 04015900.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 1/1/1937 (topo map/drg); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 687,000 | 6.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 731,000 | 5.9 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 702,000 | 6.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 720,000 | 5.8 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 708,000 | 5.7 |
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 | West shore of lake; off county road 15. 10 unit parking. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Turtle Lake on August 6th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake. During the summer, Cisco require a layer of oxythermal habitat that contains water temperatures below 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) and dissolved oxygen concentrations above 3.0 mg/L. Based on the profile from the deepest basin (maximum sampled depth 42.6 feet), the water temperature decreased below 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) at 26.2 feet and the dissolved oxygen concentration decreased to 3.0 mg/L at 26.2 feet at the time of sampling. Therefore, the water column did not contain a layer of water with sufficient temperature and dissolved oxygen for Cisco. Further, the temperature at which dissolved oxygen decreased to 3.0 mg/L (i.e., TDO3, a single variable to characterize oxythermal habitat) was 21.3 degrees C (70.3 degrees F). TDO3 values warmer than 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) indicate that oxythermal conditions were unsuitable for Cisco at the time of the survey. Data collected by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources during the late summer period of maximum oxythermal stress (July 26th to Aug 24th) in 2023 and 2021 also indicate unsuitable oxythermal habitat with no habitat present. When inadequate oxythermal habitat is available, Cisco are squeezed into unfavorable, warmer water conditions and experience higher levels of stress.
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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