St. Louis River Estuary

The St. Louis River Estuary (SLRE) has a surface area of 10,255 acres and extends from the Fond du Lac Dam to the Wisconsin Entry from Lake Superior on Minnesota Point. The estuary is an interstate waterway between Minnesota and Wisconsin and has 8,606 (85%) acres of littoral area and a maximum depth of approximately 55 feet. Standardized stations were sampled with overnight gill net sets to monitor gamefish populations, evaluate the Lake Sturgeon rehabilitation program and gather information on other fish species. Twenty different fish species were collected during the survey. The most abundant species collected were Walleye, Shorthead Redhorse and Yellow Perch. The 2018 lake management plan (LMP) revision listed Walleye, Lake Sturgeon, Muskellunge and Smallmouth Bass as the primary management species. Goals for Walleye were to maintain a naturally reproducing population with a rolling three population estimate average of at least 62,000 adults and angler preferred size fish present. Lake Sturgeon goals were to reestablish a self-sustaining population with a minimum of 1,500 adults with 25 or more year-classes of adult fish and measurable recruitment of juvenile (age 2-5) fish. Muskellunge goals detailed maintaining a Muskellunge population with a rolling three population estimate average of at least 2,000 adults (greater than 30 inches; 0.2 per acre) with some trophy size fish present. Smallmouth Bass goals were to maintain a population with quality size structure. The SLRE Walleye fishery is extremely popular with anglers and provides some of the best opportunities for both abundance and quality sized catches in the Duluth Area. The population has a migratory contingency that moves into Lake Superior at times. Walleye abundance of 9.7 per gill net was average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Average length was 16.2 inches. The proportion of adult Walleye that exceeded quality size (greater than 15 inches) was 71%, while the proportion that exceeded preferred size (greater than 20 inches) was 13%. The proportion that exceeded memorable size (greater than 25 inches) was 1%. The 2018-2020 year-classes are all strong and should provide excellent harvest opportunities in the SLRE. After decades of restorative efforts, Lake Sturgeon now offer high quality catch and release angling opportunities in the SLRE. Lake Sturgeon populations were extirpated from the SLRE and western Lake Superior in the early 1900's. A collaborative effort between Minnesota and Wisconsin resulted in 12 different year-classes stocked from 1983 through 2000. Supplemental fingerling stocking resumed in 2023, and each fish was uniquely tagged prior to release. Eight juvenile Lake Sturgeon were captured, but seven were from the 2024 stocked cohort. Naturally reproduced Lake Sturgeon abundance (0.05 per gill net) continues to be below management goals. Although documentation of successful Lake Sturgeon natural reproduction to fry has occurred intermittently in the SLRE since 2011, abundance of naturally reproduced juveniles as indexed by gill nets has remained low. Natural reproduction is expected to increase as more mature females return to the SLRE to spawn. Gear types used during small mesh gill net surveys do not capture adult Lake Sturgeon populations well and they are evaluated during targeted spring spawning surveys. Channel Catfish abundance has been high in recent years in the SLRE and provides an excellent opportunity for anglers willing to target moderately sized fish. Over 70 catfish were captured, and abundance (3.2 per net) was up from 2024 (2.7 per net). Average size was 15.6 inches. The proportion of adult Channel Catfish that exceeded quality size (greater than 16 inches) was 54%, while the proportion that exceeded preferred size (greater than 24 inches) was 0%. Smallmouth Bass are an important component of the SLRE fishery. Gill nets are usually a poor indicator of abundance, and no specimens were sampled in 2025. Past electrofishing and large frame trap net surveys have demonstrated a moderate bass population with quality size structure exists. Occasionally caught as by-catch by anglers targeting Muskellunge, preferred and sometimes memorable size Northern Pike may be found in the SLRE. Pike abundance of 1.6 per gill net was average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Average size was 21.6 inches, with fish up to 28.2 inches long sampled. The proportion of adult Northern Pike that exceeded quality size (greater than 21 inches) was 51%, while the proportion that exceeded preferred size (greater than 28 inches) was 6%. Black Crappie are prolific in the SLRE and anglers targeting them can have good success. Black Crappie populations are indexed during spring spawning surveys because few fish are caught in gill nets. Black Crappie abundance of 1.6 per gill net was average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Average size was 7.9 inches with fish up to 12.7 inches long sampled. Yellow Perch are an important prey species in the SLRE but also offer some limited opportunities to anglers. Perch abundance of 4.0 per gill net lift was below average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Average size was 7.0 inches. The proportion of adult Yellow Perch that exceeded quality size (greater than 8 inches) was 29%, while the proportion that exceeded preferred size (greater than 10 inches) was 4%.

The St. Louis River Estuary (SLRE) has a surface area of 10,255 acres and extends from the Fond du Lac Dam to the Wisconsin Entry from Lake Superior on Minnesota Point. The estuary is an interstate waterway between Minnesota and Wisconsin and has 8,606 (85%) acres of littoral area and a maximum depth of approximately 55 feet. Standardized stations were sampled with overnight gill net sets to monitor gamefish populations, evaluate the Lake Sturgeon rehabilitation program and gather information on other fish species. Flooding conditions were encountered during the survey in 2024 and catch rates for some species may not be representative. Nineteen different fish species were collected during the survey. The most abundant species collected were Walleye, Shorthead Redhorse and Channel Catfish. The 2018 lake management plan (LMP) revision listed Walleye, Lake Sturgeon, Muskellunge and Smallmouth Bass as the primary management species. Goals for Walleye were to maintain a naturally reproducing population with a rolling three population estimate average of at least 62,000 adults and angler preferred size fish present. Lake Sturgeon goals were to reestablish a self-sustaining population with a minimum of 1,500 adults with 25 or more year-classes of adult fish and measurable recruitment of juvenile (age 2-5) fish. Muskellunge goals detailed maintaining a Muskellunge population with a rolling three population estimate average of at least 2,000 adults (greater than 30 inches; 0.2 per acre) with some trophy size fish present. Smallmouth Bass goals were to maintain a population with quality size structure. The SLRE Walleye fishery is extremely popular with anglers and provides some of the best opportunities for both abundance and quality sized catches in the Duluth Area. The population has a migratory contingency that moves into Lake Superior at times. Walleye abundance of 5.4 per gill net was average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Average length was 16.0 inches. The proportion of adult Walleye that exceeded quality size (greater than 15 inches) was 68%, while the proportion that exceeded preferred size (greater than 20 inches) was 6%. The proportion that exceeded memorable size (greater than 25 inches) was 1%. The 2019 year-class is strong and should provide excellent harvest opportunities in the SLRE as most fish from this year-class now exceed 16 inches in length. After decades of restorative efforts, Lake Sturgeon now offer high quality catch and release angling opportunities in the SLRE. Lake Sturgeon populations were extirpated from the SLRE and western Lake Superior in the early 1900's. A collaborative effort between Minnesota and Wisconsin resulted in 12 different year-classes stocked from 1983 through 2000. Supplemental fingerling stocking resumed in 2023, and each fish was uniquely tagged prior to release. Three Lake Sturgeon were captured, but two were from the 2023 stocked cohort. Naturally reproduced Lake Sturgeon abundance (0.05 per gill net) continues to be below management goals. Although documentation of successful Lake Sturgeon natural reproduction to fry has been fairly consistent in the SLRE since 2011, abundance of naturally reproduced juveniles as indexed by gill nets has remained low. Natural reproduction is expected to increase as more mature females return to the SLRE to spawn. Gear types used during standardized gill net surveys do not represent adult Lake Sturgeon populations well and they are evaluated during targeted spring spawning surveys. Channel Catfish abundance has been high in recent years in the SLRE and provides an excellent opportunity for anglers willing to target moderately sized fish. Nearly 60 catfish were captured but abundance (2.7 per net) was down from 2023 (4.1 per net). Average size was 16.3 inches. The proportion of adult Channel Catfish that exceeded quality size (greater than 16 inches) was 67%, while the proportion that exceeded preferred size (greater than 24 inches) was 0%. Smallmouth Bass are an important component of the SLRE fishery. Gill nets are usually a poor indicator of abundance, but a few specimens were sampled in 2024. Past electrofishing and large frame trap net surveys suggest a moderate bass population with quality size structure exists. Occasionally caught as by-catch by anglers targeting Muskellunge, preferred and sometimes memorable size Northern Pike may be found in the SLRE. Pike abundance of 1.6 per gill net was average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Average size was 22.9 inches, but fish up to 33.9 inches long were sampled. The proportion of adult Northern Pike that exceeded quality size (greater than 21 inches) was 55%, while the proportion that exceeded preferred size (greater than 28 inches) was 23%. Black Crappie are prolific in the SLRE and anglers targeting them can have good success. Black Crappie populations are indexed during spring spawning surveys because few fish are caught in gill nets. Black Crappie abundance of 0.8 per gill net was average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Average size was 7.5 inches. Yellow Perch are an important prey species in the SLRE but also offer some limited opportunities to anglers. Perch abundance of 2.4 per gill net lift was below average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Average size was 7.2 inches. The proportion of adult Yellow Perch that exceeded quality size (greater than 8 inches) was 22%, while the proportion that exceeded preferred size (greater than 10 inches) was 2%.

Lake Sturgeon were extirpated from the St. Louis River Estuary (SLRE) and Western Lake Superior in the early to mid-1900's due to overharvest and habitat and water quality degradation. Water quality in the estuary began improving in the 1980's paving the way for reintroduction. Reintroduction and evaluation of Lake Sturgeon began in 1983 and has been a cooperative effort between Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources. Lake Sturgeon are a long-lived species with slow growth, extended maturity schedules, and intermittent spawning behavior so full rehabilitation is expected to take many decades. A total of 13 year-classes were stocked from 1983 through 2000. During the mid-2000's, biologists began observing small numbers of Lake Sturgeon congregating at available spawning habitat in the upper reaches of the SLRE, signaling that some stocked year-classes were beginning to mature. In 2011, Fond du Lac Natural Resources biologists captured the first Lake Sturgeon fry below the Fond du Lac dam confirming natural reproduction had occurred. Supplemental stocking has occurred in recent years (2023-2024) due to low recruitment of naturally reproduced year-classes. A total of 277 individual Lake Sturgeon were sampled in spring 2024. Minimum and maximum length of sampled Lake Sturgeon was 41.4 and 66.4 inches, and average length was 50.3 inches. Catch-and-release angling (open mid-June through mid-April annually) for Lake Sturgeon in the SLRE should be good in 2025 and beyond as the population continues to recover. From 2016-2024, 173 Lake Sturgeon were surgically implanted with acoustic transmitters as part of a cooperative project with the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, Wisconsin DNR and the National Park Service. This research enables the tracking of individual fish and is helping refine uncertainties related to spawning movements and timing. An array of acoustic receivers that log data about tagged fish movements is managed by MN DNR throughout the estuary and the near-shore waters of Lake Superior to monitor movement through the estuary and into Lake Superior. Fish that migrate to other regions of Lake Superior and are detected on other jurisdictions' acoustic arrays are reported back to MN DNR enabling a broad-scale interpretation of Lake Sturgeon migratory behavior. Movement patterns have demonstrated both resident and migratory life history strategies. The movement patterns of resident sturgeon suggest that they are frequently detected in deeper habitats with access to large shallow flats. Migratory individuals are frequently detected along the south shore of Lake Superior and rarely extending to the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan and northward to Black Bay, Ontario.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Channel Catfish, Rock Bass, Walleye, Muskellunge, and Northern Pike in St. Louis River Estuary. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for St. Louis River Estuary. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

St. Louis River Estuary has a maximum depth of 55 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in St. Louis River Estuary is from 2025.

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