Vanduse Lake
Aitkin County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 01005800
DNR records show 6 stocking entries at Vanduse Lake since 2019, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (189,000 fish).
- Vanduse Lake has 6 DNR stocking records across 6 years (2019-2025): walleye (6).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 1,134,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 27 ft, mean depth 8 ft; surface area 240 acres, 189 littoral acres, 5.7 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 13.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Aitkin County, nearest town Jacobson; DNR lake number (DOW) 01005800.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 9/5/1989 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 189,000 | 1.7 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 189,000 | 1.7 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 189,000 | 1.7 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 189,000 | 1.7 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 189,000 | 1.7 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 189,000 | 1.6 |
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 | Minnesota DNR | - in Section 22; can be reached from the west via US 65; T114; T533 and T483 |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 27.50 | 55 | 0.54 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 22.33 | 134 | 0.39 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 12.50 | 75 | 1.79 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 11.33 | 68 | 0.20 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 5.50 | 33 | 0.15 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 3.67 | 22 | 0.58 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 3.17 | 19 | 0.15 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 1.83 | 11 | 0.09 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 4 | 1.03 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 21.25 | 255 | 0.27 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 4.92 | 59 | 0.16 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 1.67 | 20 | 0.48 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.83 | 10 | 0.79 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.75 | 9 | 1.68 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.58 | 7 | 0.40 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.25 | 3 | 1.69 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 0.08 | 1 | 0.87 |
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.
Vanduse Lake is 230 acres (189 Littoral acres) with a maximum depth of 27 feet. Vanduse is located about 2 miles south of Jacobson in northeastern Aitkin County. There is a public access with a gravel ramp on the west side of the lake. A standard survey (12 trap nets and 6 gill nets) was conducted on Vanduse Lake during the week of 6/10/2024 to assess the fishery. During the 2024 survey the water was clear-green in color, with moderate clarity, measured at 14 feet during the time of this survey. Dissolved oxygen was near zero parts per million (ppm) below 19 feet during the survey period. Vanduse is managed primarily for Bluegill and Walleye, with Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass and Black Crappie as secondary species. Bluegill were sampled with trap nets at a typical rate compared to lakes with similar habitat (21.3 per net). Bluegill ranged in size from 3.4 to 9.3 inches, averaging 6.8 inches. The population had a good length distribution with approximately 38 percent of fish 8.0 inches or greater and vastly improved since previous surveys in 2019 (3 percent) and 2012 (less than 1 percent). Overall, the Bluegill trap net catch met the management goal of a catch rate less than 40 per net with 20 percent of fish 8.0 inches or greater. Walleye fry have been stocked in Vanduse Lake annually since 2019, except for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of establishing a Walleye population in Vanduse Lake has not been met, as no Walleye were sampled in the 2024 survey. The absence of Walleye is likely due to high abundances of Northern Pike and Black Crappie. Walleye fry will be stocked again in 2025, and a targeted survey for Walleye is planned for 2026. The Walleye stocking regime will be re-evaluated based on results of the targeted survey. The Northern Pike gill net catch rate (12.5 per net) was similar to previous surveys dating back to the 1980's, which have consistently been high compared to similar lakes, and did not meet the management goal of less than 10 fish per net. Vanduse Lake Northern Pike averaged 19.9 inches and ranged from 15.0 to 35.6 inches. The size structure did not improve from the previous survey, as the percentage of fish greater than 24 inches decreased from 26 percent in 2012, to 9 percent in this survey. These results did not satisfy the goal established in the management plan of 15 percent of Northern Pike greater than 24 inches. Largemouth Bass are not sampled well with standard survey nets, so their populations are often evaluated using boat electrofishing. Day time electrofishing was conducted on 5/28/2024 and yielded a…
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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