Esther Lake

Details

DNR lake ID

16002300

County

Cook

Surface area

78 acres

Maximum depth

35 feet

Mean depth

16 feet

Shallow water (littoral) area

35 acres, 45% of the lake

Shoreline

3.0 miles

Average water clarity

8.4 feet (Secchi disk, 5 readings)

Nearest town (DNR)

Hovland

Latest DNR fish survey

October 2024, targeted survey

Surveys on record

11, since 1983

Game fish caught in the 2024 survey

splake 12, rainbow trout 5

Fish species recorded

brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, splake, and 8 other species

Stocked in 2025

brook trout fingerlings (1,902); rainbow trout yearlings (2,000)

Stocked in 2024

rainbow trout yearlings (2,000); splake fingerlings (2,520)

Stocked in 2023

rainbow trout yearlings (2,000); splake fingerlings (2,000)

Stocking years on record

10 of the last 10 (2016 to 2025)

Esther Lake Public Water Access Site

trailer launch, gravel ramp, 3 trailer spaces, toilet, run by DNR Division of Parks and Trails

Fish consumption

Follow the northeast guidelines; fish from this lake have been tested

Size

Under 100 acres

Deepest point

30 to 59 feet

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.