Minnesota · St. Louis County
Stuart Lake Fishing guide
Stuart Lake sits in St. Louis County, Minnesota, and covers 776 acres, reaching 40 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 5.5 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 8 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and yellow perch in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Good numbers4.4per gill net12"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 40 fish
Recent · 2016Lengths measured · 40 fish
2016Lengths measured · 51 fish
2006Lengths measured · 45 fish
1996No recent survey rating.
Yellow perchFair numbers2per gill net10"Typical13"Biggest
Lengths measured · 18 fish
Recent · 2016Lengths measured · 18 fish
2016Lengths measured · 24 fish
2006Lengths measured · 23 fish
1996Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish Stuart Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds.
- Early summer
- Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
- Summer
- Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure. On a lake that drops to 40 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find. On a lake that drops to 40 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Walleye | Northern pike | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 26" | 30" | — |
| 2006 | 25" | 33" | — |
| 1996 | 28" | 47" | — |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Walleye · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Trolling
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | 118,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 177,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 177,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Stuart Lake on August 18th, 2025, to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake. During the summer, Cisco require a layer of oxythermal habitat that contains water temperatures below 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) and dissolved oxygen concentrations above 3.0 mg/L. Based on the profile from the deepest basin (maximum sampled depth 36.1 feet), the water temperature decreased below 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) at 13.8 feet and the dissolved oxygen concentration decreased to 3.0 mg/L at 15.6 feet at the time of sampling. The thickness of this layer of water in the water column was 1.8 feet, indicating that oxythermal habitat was present but marginal for Cisco.
Further, the temperature at which dissolved oxygen decreased to 3.0 mg/L (i.e., TDO3, a single variable to characterize oxythermal habitat) was 20.1 degrees C (68.2 degrees F). TDO3 values cooler than 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) indicate that oxythermal conditions were marginal for Cisco at the time of the survey as the layer was confined to less than 3 feet of suitable habitat at the time of the survey.
Read the full DNR narrative
Data collected by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources during the late summer period of maximum oxythermal stress (July 26th to Aug 24th) in 2024 indicated suitable oxythermal habitat, with 18.9 feet of oxythermal habitat. When inadequate oxythermal habitat is available, Cisco are squeezed into unfavorable, warmer water conditions and experience higher levels of stress.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Stuart Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Stuart 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.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- US Forest Service access (permit required): 74 rod/ 407 yd. portage from Stuart River
- US Forest Service access (permit required): 118 rod/ 649 yd. portage from Dahlgren River
- US Forest Service access (permit required): 320 rod/ 1760 yd. portage from Fox Lake
- US Forest Service access (permit required): 180 rod/ 990 yd. portage from Nibin Lake
DNR bathymetry
Stuart Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Agnes Lake · 1,045 ac · 2.8 mi
- Iron Lake · 1,962 ac · 3.8 mi
- Oyster Lake · 763 ac · 5.2 mi
- Toe Lake · 169 ac · 6.6 mi
- Meander Lake · 99 ac · 7.2 mi
- Bear Trap Lake · 122 ac · 7.3 mi
- Hustler Lake · 277 ac · 7.4 mi
- Little Hustler Lake · 69 ac · 8.1 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Stuart Lake?
Stuart Lake reaches 40 ft at its deepest point; about 30% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Stuart Lake?
Stuart Lake covers 776 acres with about 11.3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Stuart Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Stuart Lake average 5.5 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Stuart Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch.
Is Stuart Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2018.
Does Stuart Lake have a public access?
Yes. Stuart Lake has 4 public access sites, including a US Forest Service access (74 rod/ 407 yd. portage from Stuart River).
How big do walleye get in Stuart Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 26"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1996.
When was Stuart Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Stuart Lake in 2025, the most recent of 8 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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