Minnesota · DNR survey data

Chester Lake

Chester Lake covers 52 acres in Cook County, running to 35 feet, last surveyed by the DNR in 2024. The Minnesota DNR has not published bathymetry for this lake, so there is no depth map here, just the survey record: what the nets held and how big it ran.

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DNR survey data

Fish species

Species
How many
Survey numbers
Lengths
Brook trout
Present (last recorded 1986)

Last recorded in the 1986 survey and not seen since.

Brown troutStocked · 2025
Present, stocked

Present and managed by the DNR.

11"17"

Lengths measured · 17 fish

Recent · 2024
9"10"15"20"21"

Lengths measured · 17 fish

2024
9"10"15"20"21"

Lengths measured · 11 fish

2019
9"10"15"20"21"

Lengths measured · 4 fish

2014
9"10"15"20"21"

Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.

Lengths measured · 7 fish

2010
9"10"15"20"21"

Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.

Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear — which is why the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, the page shows presence and size only. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey. You can read every number on this page without an app or an account.

DNR stocking records

Stocking history

YearSpeciesStocked
2025Brown Trout800 yearlings
2023Brown Trout800 yearlings
2021Brown Trout800 yearlings
2019Brown Trout800 yearlings
2017Brown Trout800 yearlings

Recent reports

Chester Lake fishing reports

Recent reports on Chester Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.

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Cook County reports

Public water access

Getting on the water

Within 30 miles

Nearby lakes

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

Is there a depth map for Chester Lake?

The Minnesota DNR has not published bathymetry for Chester Lake, so this page carries the survey record instead: species, catch rates and stocking history.

What fish are in Chester Lake?

The most recent DNR survey (2024) recorded brook trout, brown trout.

Does Chester Lake have a public access?

Yes. Chester Lake has one public access site: Chester Lake (carry-in).

Is Chester Lake stocked?

Yes. The DNR stocked brown trout in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.

When was Chester Lake last surveyed?

The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Chester Lake in 2024, the most recent of 10 surveys on record.

Survey numbers are the Minnesota DNR's. How this site reads them →

Page updated .