Dark Lake

Details

DNR lake ID

36001400

County

Koochiching

Surface area

120 acres

Maximum depth

50 feet

Shallow water (littoral) area

70 acres, 59% of the lake

Shoreline

3.0 miles

Average water clarity

7.6 feet (Secchi disk, 4 readings)

Nearest town (DNR)

Gemmell

Latest DNR fish survey

August 2025, targeted survey

Surveys on record

14, since 1986

Game fish caught in the 2025 survey

bluegill 205, largemouth bass 69, yellow perch 49, black crappie 49, northern pike 7, walleye 2

Fish species recorded

black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, rock bass, walleye, yellow perch, and 7 other species

Stocked in 2025

walleye fry (70,000); walleye fingerlings (1,628)

Stocked in 2024

walleye fingerlings (1,050)

Stocked in 2023

walleye fingerlings (2,170)

Stocking years on record

7 of the last 10 (2016 to 2025)

Dark Lake Public Water Access Site

trailer launch, concrete slab ramp, 1 dock, 4 trailer spaces, run by Koochiching County

Fish consumption

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

Size

100 to 499 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.