Minnesota · DNR survey data
Lower Balsam Lake
Lower Balsam Lake covers 259 acres in Itasca County, running to 29 feet, last surveyed by the DNR in 2011. 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.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassJust a few7.2per hr (electrofishing)13"Typical15"Biggest
Lengths measured · 11 fish
Recent · 2011Lengths measured · 11 fish
2011Lengths measured · 3 fish
1999Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Northern pikeFair numbers6.2per gill net19"Typical35"Biggest
Lengths measured · 39 fish
Recent · 2011Lengths measured · 39 fish
2011Lengths measured · 61 fish
1999BluegillJust a few7per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 76 fish
Recent · 2011Lengths measured · 76 fish
2011Lengths measured · 163 fish
1999CrappieJust a few1.3per trap net7"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 85 fish
Recent · 2011Lengths measured · 85 fish
2011Lengths measured · 45 fish
1999Rates 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.
Recent reports
Lower Balsam Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Lower Balsam 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.
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Snaptail Lake · 175 ac · 2.5 mi
- Balsam Lake · 716 ac · 3.7 mi
- Haskell Lake · 93 ac · 3.7 mi
- Crooked Lake · 465 ac · 3.8 mi
- King Lake · 311 ac · 4.1 mi
- Bray Lake · 177 ac · 4.1 mi
- Scrapper Lake · 173 ac · 4.3 mi
- Hartley Lake · 288 ac · 4.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
Is there a depth map for Lower Balsam Lake?
The Minnesota DNR has not published bathymetry for Lower Balsam Lake, so this page carries the survey record instead: species, catch rates and stocking history.
What fish are in Lower Balsam Lake?
The most recent DNR survey (2011) recorded walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Lower Balsam Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Lower Balsam Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
When was Lower Balsam Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Lower Balsam Lake in 2011, the most recent of 4 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Survey numbers are the Minnesota DNR's. How this site reads them →
Page updated .