Dan

Dan is an 8-acre designated stream trout lake located 10 miles East of Ely in the Superior National Forest. It is comparable to similarly small Norberg and Glacier Pond Two in the Tower Area. The lake is crystal clear, with Secchi visibility to the bottom in 26 feet of water. The usual water quality values for dissolved oxygen and temperature were not measured due to the early spring timing of the survey, but previous mid-summer checks have found excellent oxygen and thermal habitat. Aquatic plants are sparse but locally abundant in the east and west bays. A cedar fringe surrounds the lake, accenting an upland forest of mature white pine and aspen/birch regeneration. Dispersed camping is allowed but no choice sites are present. Access is by a 50-rod portage from Madden Creek Road, for which four-wheel drive and decent ground clearance are recommended. The road is no longer gated and is legal for vehicles to use year-round. The portage is wide enough for a snowmobile, but there is no turn-around for a wheeler in the open water season. Madden Creek Road is not plowed in the winter, and a longer alternative route exists from Madden Lake. Increased user-activity has improved the condition of the portage considerably in recent years. Splake were the only species sampled, and their abundance (10.5/net) remained high for the Area, although lower than in the previous survey. Lengths ranged from 13 to 20 inches, with an average length of 15.5 inches. Length frequency suggests the presence of at least two year classes. All trout captured were engorged on chironomid midges.

Dan is an 8 acre designated stream trout lake located 10 miles east of Ely in the Superior National Forest. Access is by a 60 rod portage following a 1.4 mile walk from the gate on Madden Creek Road. The lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet and water clarity to this point. The lake shoreline is ringed by cedars and consists of a mixture of steep rock and shallow muck. Brook trout fingerlings were annually stocked in Dan until discontinued in 2010 following a reduction in the stream trout program. In 2016, splake fingerlings were introduced and are currently stocked in even years. Splake numbers and size structure were both exceptional in this survey. Catch was high at 14.5 fish/net. The average splake sampled in Dan measured 17 inches in length and weighed 2.6 pounds, far exceeding the average of 0.7 pounds in similar lakes. Total yield was 37.7 pounds/net which is exceptional for a stream trout lake. Most fish sampled were from the 2016 stocking with a single fish representing the most recent event. It is likely that many of these smaller fish are not effectively sampled with our standard survey gear. Schools of minnows were observed on the shoreline, but splake stomach contents consisted primarily of aquatic insects.

Dan Lake is located 10 miles east of Ely. There is one access which is a remote carry-in (0.2 mile portage) off the Madden Creek Rd. Dan Lake is an eight acre lake with a maximum depth of 26 feet. Brook trout are the only species to have been stocked in Dan Lake but were discontinued after 2010 due to a reduction in the stream trout program. Recently, there has been a renewed push in the program with some previously stocked stream trout lakes potentially being added back to the stocking list. This survey was done with the anticipation that Dan Lake may at some point be stocked again. The 2015 survey captured no fish in the gill nets. Additionally no trout were observed although there seemed to be a fair amount of minnow species holding in the shallow areas.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Splake and Brook Trout in Dan. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Dan. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Dan has a maximum depth of 26 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Dan is from 2025.

No invasive species are on record for Dan in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.