Spring Hole

Spring Hole Lake is located about 26 miles north of Duluth, Minnesota and is off the Northeast Grade Road. Spring Hole Lake is a small spring-fed 2.1-acre lake with a max depth of 16 feet. The shoreline is composed primarily of bog vegetation with areas of upland and the entire lake is surrounded by public land. The lake can be accessed by traveling up Ryan Creek. Historically, there was a walking trail over a bog to the northwest shore of the lake that appeared to be overgrown in 2025. The 2025 standard survey was conducted to update the information on the fish populations in the lake and to determine if Brook Trout are still present. The lake was previously managed as a stocked Brook Trout fishery but was discontinued due to suspected Northern Pike predation and natural reproduction in connected Ryan Creek. The 2025 survey did not sample any Brook Trout in the lake. Brook Trout were last sampled in Spring Hole Lake in 1998. It is possible Brook Trout may still occasionally use the lake from nearby Ryan Creek but opportunities to catch them appear limited. A total of eight Northern Pike were caught and had lengths ranging from 15.1 to 24.0 inches long. Black Crappie were sampled for the first time in the lake with two young-of-the-year fish caught. No adult Black Crappie were caught during the survey. Spring Hole Lake offers a scenic location for fishing with very clear cold water. Access to the lake can be difficult and while there are fish present there are not many of large size for anglers.

Springhole Lake has been stocked with yearling brook trout annually from 1955 through 1968 and 1993 through 1995. Mean length of sampled brook trout was 14.3 inches, with an age distribution of 7, 7 and 1 for ages I, II and III. Of 17 aged brook trout, 7 were identified as naturally reproduced and 10 were identified as stocked. The presence or absence of a distinct stocking check on the scale was the feature used to distinguish between natural and stocked fish. Mean length of sampled northern pike was 14.8 inches with an age distribution of 28 and 3 for ages I and II. The single sampled white sucker was 11.1 inches long.

Abundance of northern pike in gillnets was between first and third quartile for lake class 14. Only two age classes (II & III) were represented in the sample with growth rates typical for Duluth Area. White sucker abundance was below first qaurtile value with only one individual sampled.

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

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Spring Hole. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

Spring Hole has a maximum depth of 16 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

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

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