Elk Lake

Details

DNR lake ID

15001000

County

Clearwater

Surface area

303 acres

Maximum depth

93 feet

Mean depth

32 feet

Shallow water (littoral) area

73 acres, 24% of the lake

Shoreline

3.9 miles

Average water clarity

10.6 feet (Secchi disk, 4 readings)

Nearest town (DNR)

Lake Itasca

Latest DNR fish survey

July 2025, targeted survey

Surveys on record

14, since 1973

Game fish caught in the 2025 survey

bluegill 275, largemouth bass 226, yellow perch 69, green sunfish 44, pumpkinseed 36, rock bass 23, hybrid sunfish 18, black crappie 1

Fish species recorded

black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, yellow perch, and 21 other species

Stocked in 2025

muskellunge fingerlings (152)

Stocked in 2024

muskellunge yearlings (2); muskellunge fingerlings (150); walleye fingerlings (500)

Stocked in 2023

muskellunge fingerlings (152)

Stocking years on record

10 of the last 10 (2016 to 2025)

Elk Lake Public Water Access Site

trailer launch, concrete slab ramp, 6 trailer spaces, run by DNR Division of Parks and Trails

Fish consumption

Follow the statewide guidelines; fish from this lake have 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.