Big Trout Lake

Details

DNR lake ID

18031500

County

Crow Wing

Surface area

1,366 acres

Maximum depth

128 feet

Mean depth

52 feet

Shallow water (littoral) area

369 acres, 27% of the lake

Shoreline

8.9 miles

Average water clarity

13.2 feet (Secchi disk, 16 readings)

Latest DNR fish survey

July 2024, standard survey

Surveys on record

19, since 1990

Game fish caught in the 2024 survey

bluegill 156, northern pike 80, hybrid sunfish 71, rock bass 59, yellow perch 39, pumpkinseed 37, lake trout 12, largemouth bass 11

Fish species recorded

black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, lake trout, largemouth bass, northern pike, northern sunfish, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, and 31 other species

Stocked in 2025

lake trout yearlings (23,229)

Stocked in 2023

lake trout yearlings (20,676)

Stocked in 2021

lake trout yearlings (20,500)

Stocking years on record

7 of the last 10 (2016 to 2025)

Big Trout Public Water Access Site

trailer launch, concrete slab ramp, 1 dock, 9 trailer spaces, toilet, run by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Infested waters list

zebra mussel

Special regulation, Whitefish Chain including connected Cross Lake Reservoir, Lower Hay, Arrowhead, Bertha, Clamshell, Big Trout, Pig, Island-Loon, Rush-Hen, Dagget, and Little Pine lakes

Crappie, Sunfish: Daily limit five.

Fish consumption

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

Size

500 to 1,999 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.