Wild Rice Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 69037100
Wild Rice Lake has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- Wild Rice Lake shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 11 ft; surface area 2,372 acres, 2,372 littoral acres, 14.2 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 4.3 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- St. Louis County, nearest town Duluth; DNR lake number (DOW) 69037100.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 10/21/1955 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | PRI | - Located just west of dam off of County Road 247. Plenty of parking for up to around 16 rigs. |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 17.50 | 35 | 1.51 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 15.92 | 207 | 1.59 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 11.77 | 153 | 1.66 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 8.54 | 111 | 0.18 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 6.69 | 87 | 2.67 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 4.85 | 63 | 0.19 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 3.15 | 41 | 0.38 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 2.92 | 38 | 0.34 |
| Golden shiner | Standard gill nets | 0.77 | 10 | 0.08 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 11.33 | 170 | 0.35 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 2.93 | 44 | 0.24 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 2.47 | 37 | 0.63 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 1.73 | 26 | 1.69 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 1.40 | 21 | 2.10 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 0.80 | 12 | 0.31 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 10 | 2.67 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.27 | 4 | 0.08 |
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.
Wild Rice Reservoir is a 2,127-acre waterbody located about five miles north of Duluth with a maximum depth of 11 feet. There is a back-in concrete ramp located just west of the dam off County Road 247 that is owned by Minnesota Power but open to public use. Wild Rice is operated as a water storage reservoir by Minnesota Power and is subject to water level manipulation. Wild Rice is listed by MN Pollution Control Agency as impaired for aquatic consumption for both per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFOS) and mercury in fish tissue. Anglers should refer to the MN Department of Health website for the most up to date consumption guidelines. The 2024 lake management plan (LMP) listed Walleye, Black Crappie and Bluegill as the primary management species. The LMP goals were to maintain a Walleye gill net catch above average compared to other similar lakes with some Walleye over 20 inches present, as well as Bluegill and Black Crappie populations capable of supporting preferred and occasionally, memorable or trophy size fish. Special five fish daily limit regulations designed to protect and enhance Bluegill and Black Crappie quality size structure were implemented on Wild Rice in 2021. Wild Rice was assessed during the summer of 2024 to update information about fish populations and is surveyed once every five years, most recently in 2019. The Walleye population in Wild Rice is self-sustaining and has not been stocked since 1983. Walleye gill net abundance (15.9/net) was above average compared to other similar Minnesota lakes. Walleye mean length was 16.2 inches with fish ranging from 7.5 to 28.9 inches. Walleye angling in Wild Rice is expected to be excellent in 2025 and beyond with high abundance, good population size structure and consistent natural reproduction. Panfish populations in Wild Rice are currently in excellent condition. Bluegill abundance of 11.3 per trap net was above average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Bluegill were first encountered in Wild Rice by DNR Fisheries in 1988 and have since become well established and are providing quality angling opportunities. Average length was 7.3 inches and several large specimens over 9 inches long were captured. Black Crappie abundance was average compared to other similar lakes. Black Crappie mean length exceeded 10 inches and several crappies over 12 inches long were sampled. Historically, Yellow Perch gill net abundance has been highly variable in Wild Rice ranging from 3.5 to 40.3 per lift. Average length of Yellow Perch was 6.9 inches and ranged from 4.9 to 12.6 inches. Size structure…
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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