Ponto Lake

Details

DNR lake ID

11023400

County

Cass

Surface area

388 acres

Maximum depth

60 feet

Shallow water (littoral) area

102 acres, 26% of the lake

Shoreline

4.5 miles

Average water clarity

18.2 feet (Secchi disk, 4 readings)

Nearest town (DNR)

Backus

Latest DNR fish survey

August 2024, standard survey

Surveys on record

12, since 1976

Game fish caught in the 2024 survey

rock bass 85, walleye 58, largemouth bass 56, northern pike 53, bluegill 45, pumpkinseed 20, black crappie 12, hybrid sunfish 8

Fish species recorded

black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, and 11 other species

Stocked in 2024

walleye fingerlings (897)

Stocked in 2022

walleye fingerlings (3,264)

Stocked in 2021

walleye fingerlings (1,530)

Stocking years on record

6 of the last 10 (2016 to 2024)

Ponto Lake Public Water Access Site

trailer launch, concrete slab ramp, 1 dock, 8 trailer spaces, run by DNR Division of Parks and Trails

Fish consumption

Follow the statewide guidelines; fish from this lake have not been tested

Size

100 to 499 acres

Deepest point

60 feet or more

Public access

Yes

Stocked in the last 3 years

Yes

Sources

• Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
  Checked September 24, 2026
• Minnesota DNR Public Water Access Sites
  Checked September 24, 2026

Survey catches show what DNR nets and electrofishing found on the survey date, not how the fishing is today. Check the current regulations and the Department of Health advice before you keep fish, and confirm access conditions before you tow a boat.