Updated 26 Oct 2026, 9:43 pm CDT.
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97 lakes · 8,880 acres · 45 with measured depth · 20 with a public access · 11 stocked
Carlton County has 97 lakes of 10 acres or more in Minnesota DNR hydrography, 74 of them named, covering 8,880 acres of water. The largest is Perch Lake at 665 acres; the deepest measured is Hanging Horn Lake at 80 ft. Minnesota DNR has a measured maximum depth for 45 lakes here. The Census counts 14 square miles of water in the county, 2% of its area.
Lake outlines and acres: Minnesota DNR hydrography (lakes, ponds and reservoirs of 10 acres or more, each counted once: a lake mapped in bays as the whole lake, a border water by its Minnesota side; 3 lakes the DNR files under no county are placed here by the Census county line). Depths: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder and lake survey contours, fetched 26 Oct 2026. County line and water area: U.S. Census TIGER. Lake data: Minnesota DNR (General Data and Software License). Not for navigation.
26 lakes in Carlton County cover 100 acres or more. The 12 largest are listed here; the full register of 74 named lakes follows.
| Lake | Nearest town | Acres | Deepest | Clarity | Accesses | Last stocked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perch Lake | Cloquet | 665 | 1 | |||
| Big Lake | Cloquet | 526 | 25 ft | 13 ft | 1 | 2016 |
| St. Louis River - Cloquet Reservoir | Cloquet | 525 | 30 ft | |||
| Kettle Lake | Cromwell | 442 | 1 | |||
| Island Lake | Cromwell | 434 | 25 ft | 8 ft | 1 | 2024 |
| Hanging Horn Lake | Barnum | 409 | 80 ft | 7 ft | 2 | 2021 |
| St. Louis River - Thomson Reservoir | Carlton | 390 | 22 ft | |||
| Eagle Lake | Cromwell | 389 | 35 ft | 8 ft | 1 | |
| Park Lake | Barnum | 381 | 16 ft | 9 ft | 1 | |
| Chub Lake | Carlton | 313 | 28 ft | 8 ft | 1 | 2024 |
| Moosehead Lake | Moose Lake | 279 | 18 ft | 4 ft | 1 | |
| Tamarack Lake | Wright | 235 | 48 ft | 7 ft | 1 | 2024 |
| Lake | Nearest town | Acres | Deepest | Clarity | Accesses | Last stocked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perch Lake | Cloquet | 665 | 1 | |||
| Big Lake | Cloquet | 526 | 25 ft | 13 ft | 1 | 2016 |
| St. Louis River - Cloquet Reservoir | Cloquet | 525 | 30 ft | |||
| Kettle Lake | Cromwell | 442 | 1 | |||
| Island Lake | Cromwell | 434 | 25 ft | 8 ft | 1 | 2024 |
| Hanging Horn Lake | Barnum | 409 | 80 ft | 7 ft | 2 | 2021 |
| St. Louis River - Thomson Reservoir | Carlton | 390 | 22 ft | |||
| Eagle Lake | Cromwell | 389 | 35 ft | 8 ft | 1 | |
| Park Lake | Barnum | 381 | 16 ft | 9 ft | 1 | |
| Chub Lake | Carlton | 313 | 28 ft | 8 ft | 1 | 2024 |
| Moosehead Lake | Moose Lake | 279 | 18 ft | 4 ft | 1 | |
| Tamarack Lake | Wright | 235 | 48 ft | 7 ft | 1 | 2024 |
| St. Louis River - Fond du Lac Reservoir | Wrenshall | 201 | 59 ft | 3 ft | 1 | |
| Miller Lake | Cromwell | 150 | 1 | |||
| Cole Lake | Wright | 142 | 24 ft | 7 ft | 1 | 2018 |
| Hay Lake | Wrenshall | 140 | 14 ft | 6 ft | 1 | 2025 |
| Moose Lake | Moose Lake | 133 | 67 ft | 15 ft | ||
| Sand Lake | Barnum | 128 | 27 ft | 5 ft | 1 | 2017 |
| Torch Light Lake | Cloquet | 126 | 14 ft | 2020 | ||
| Little Hanging Horn Lake | Barnum | 114 | 70 ft | 10 ft | 1 | |
| Rice Portage Lake | Cromwell | 114 | ||||
| Venoah Lake | Carlton | 110 | 25 ft | |||
| Echo Lake | Moose Lake | 108 | 47 ft | 13 ft | 1 | |
| Cross Lake | Cromwell | 107 | 23 ft | 3 ft | ||
| Dead Fish Lake | Cloquet | 103 | ||||
| Bear Lake | Barnum | 100 | 31 ft | 6 ft | 1 | 2024 |
| Hardwood Lake | Brookston | 87 | ||||
| Bob Lake | Cloquet | 77 | 30 ft | 1 | 2025 | |
| Jaskari Lake | Cromwell | 77 | ||||
| St. Louis River - Scanlon Reservoir | Scanlon | 71 | 65 ft | 4 ft | ||
| Coffee Lake | Moose Lake | 71 | 53 ft | |||
| Mattlia Lake | Wright | 65 | ||||
| Bang Lake | Cromwell | 61 | 9 ft | |||
| Woodbury Lake | Cromwell | 60 | 20 ft | |||
| Cedar Lake | Cloquet | 55 | ||||
| Wild Rice Lake | Cloquet | 55 | ||||
| St. Louis River - Knife Falls Reservoir | Scanlon | 55 | 32 ft | |||
| Merwin Lake | Cromwell | 53 | 15 ft | |||
| Lake Twentynine | Barnum | 52 | 25 ft | |||
| Bear Lake | Carlton | 50 | 28 ft | |||
| Crystal Lake | Barnum | 46 | 30 ft | |||
| Blackhoof Lake | Barnum | 41 | 9 ft | |||
| Lac La Belle | Wrenshall | 38 | ||||
| Sofie Lake | Cloquet | 37 | ||||
| Spring Lake | Barnum | 36 | 25 ft | |||
| Munson Lake | Barnum | 35 | 20 ft | |||
| Forbay Lake | Wrenshall | 35 | 34 ft | 4 ft | ||
| Graham Lake | Kerrick | 34 | 21 ft | 1 | ||
| Hizer Lake | Barnum | 34 | 9 ft | 3 ft | ||
| Walli Lake | Wright | 33 | 5 ft | |||
| Soper Lake | Kerrick | 32 | 10 ft | |||
| Ellstrom Lake | Barnum | 32 | 10 ft | |||
| Eddy Lake | Barnum | 32 | 37 ft | |||
| Flodin Lake | Barnum | 29 | ||||
| Corona Lake | Cromwell | 27 | 30 ft | 8 ft | ||
| Spring Lake | Cromwell | 27 | 4 ft | |||
| Benfield Lake | Barnum | 26 | 80 ft | |||
| Kettle Lake | Tamarack | 22 | 25 ft | |||
| Mader Pond | Kerrick | 21 | ||||
| Section One Lake | Wright | 20 | ||||
| Spring Lake | Moose Lake | 18 | ||||
| First Lake | Cloquet | 16 | ||||
| Cub Lake | Barnum | 16 | ||||
| Lost Lake | Barnum | 16 | ||||
| Long Lake | Wright | 15 | ||||
| Third Lake | Cloquet | 15 | ||||
| Kohring Lake | Barnum | 14 | ||||
| School Lake | Wright | 14 | ||||
| Mud Lake | Kerrick | 13 | ||||
| Spruce Lake | Cromwell | 12 | ||||
| Little Kettle Lake | Cromwell | 11 | ||||
| Second Lake | Cloquet | 11 | ||||
| Flower Lake | Cromwell | 10 | ||||
| Cranberry Lake | Moose Lake | 10 |
Acres: Minnesota DNR hydrography. Nearest town: U.S. Census 2024 Gazetteer. Deepest: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder (the survey's maximum depth, else the deepest survey contour). Clarity: average measured Secchi depth, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and volunteer readings via LakeFinder. Accesses: Minnesota DNR public water access sites. Stocking: Minnesota DNR stocking reports, by year. Fetched 26 Oct 2026.
3 names belong to more than one lake in Carlton County, 7 lakes in all. The most repeated is Spring Lake, with 3. Each lake is listed with its nearest town, the way people search for them.
| Name | Lakes | Which one |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Lake | 3 | near Barnum (36 acres, 25 ft); near Cromwell (27 acres, 4 ft); near Moose Lake (18 acres) |
| Bear Lake | 2 | near Barnum (100 acres, 31 ft); near Carlton (50 acres, 28 ft) |
| Kettle Lake | 2 | near Cromwell (442 acres); near Tamarack (22 acres, 25 ft) |
Names: USGS GNIS and Minnesota DNR hydrography. Acres: Minnesota DNR hydrography; depth: Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, fetched 26 Oct 2026. Nearest town: U.S. Census 2024 Gazetteer.
2 lakes in Carlton County are 75 ft deep or more by Minnesota DNR survey. Hanging Horn Lake is the deepest at 80 ft, then Benfield Lake (80 ft), Little Hanging Horn Lake (70 ft) and Moose Lake (67 ft). The other 29 named lakes have no measured depth on record.
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder maximum depths and lake survey contours, fetched 26 Oct 2026.
Clarity is the depth at which a black-and-white Secchi disk disappears from view. 21 lakes in Carlton County have measured readings, 44 in all; the middle lake averages 7 ft. The clearest is Moose Lake at about 15 ft, then Big Lake (13 ft), Echo Lake (13 ft) and Little Hanging Horn Lake (10 ft). The least clear is St. Louis River - Fond du Lac Reservoir at about 3 ft. Clarity is not a test for bacteria or algae toxins.
Average of measured Secchi readings, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and volunteers, via Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, fetched 26 Oct 2026.
Minnesota DNR lists 21 public water access sites on 20 lakes in Carlton County; 17 take a boat trailer. The other 54 named lakes have no public access site in the DNR record, so their shores may be private.
| Lake | Site | Run by | Facilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perch Lake | Perch Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | trailer launch · 1 ramp · natural ramp · 8 trailer spaces |
| Big Lake | Big Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | trailer launch · 1 ramp · concrete ramp · 1 dock · 20 trailer spaces · restroom |
| Kettle Lake near Cromwell | Kettle Lake | DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife | trailer launch |
| Island Lake | Island Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | trailer launch · 1 ramp · concrete ramp · 1 dock · 6 trailer spaces · restroom |
| Hanging Horn Lake | Hanging Horn Lake | City of Barnum | trailer launch · 1 ramp · concrete ramp · 1 dock · 6 trailer spaces · restroom |
| Hanging Horn Lake | Hanging Horn Lake East | Carlton County | carry-in · 2 docks |
| Eagle Lake | Eagle Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | trailer launch · 1 ramp · concrete ramp · 1 dock · 15 trailer spaces · restroom |
| Park Lake | Park Lake | Atkinson Township | trailer launch · 1 ramp · gravel ramp · 1 dock · 2 trailer spaces |
| Chub Lake | Chub Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | trailer launch · 1 ramp · concrete ramp · 1 dock · 9 trailer spaces · restroom |
| Moosehead Lake | Moosehead Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | trailer launch · 1 ramp · gravel ramp · 1 dock · 7 trailer spaces |
| Tamarack Lake | Tamarack Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | trailer launch · 1 ramp · concrete ramp · 1 dock · 7 trailer spaces |
| St. Louis River - Fond du Lac Reservoir | St. Louis River, Fond du Lac Reservoir | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | carry-in · natural ramp |
| Miller Lake | Miller Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | carry-in · natural ramp · 2 trailer spaces |
| Cole Lake | Cole Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | trailer launch · 1 ramp · natural ramp · 7 trailer spaces |
| Hay Lake | Hay Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | trailer launch · 1 ramp · gravel ramp · 6 trailer spaces |
| Sand Lake | Sand Lake | Carlton County | trailer launch · 1 ramp · natural ramp · 2 trailer spaces · restroom |
| Little Hanging Horn Lake | Little Hanging Horn Lake | Baldwin Township | trailer launch · 1 ramp · gravel ramp · 1 dock · 3 trailer spaces |
| Echo Lake | Echo Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | trailer launch · 1 ramp · concrete ramp · 1 dock · 8 trailer spaces · restroom |
| Bear Lake near Barnum | Bear Lake | Carlton County | trailer launch · 1 ramp · concrete ramp · 1 dock · 6 trailer spaces · restroom |
| Bob Lake | Bob Lake | Atkinson Township | trailer launch · 1 ramp · natural ramp · 4 trailer spaces |
| Lake | Site | Run by | Facilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perch Lake | Perch Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | trailer launch · 1 ramp · natural ramp · 8 trailer spaces |
| Big Lake | Big Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | trailer launch · 1 ramp · concrete ramp · 1 dock · 20 trailer spaces · restroom |
| Kettle Lake near Cromwell | Kettle Lake | DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife | trailer launch |
| Island Lake | Island Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | trailer launch · 1 ramp · concrete ramp · 1 dock · 6 trailer spaces · restroom |
| Hanging Horn Lake | Hanging Horn Lake | City of Barnum | trailer launch · 1 ramp · concrete ramp · 1 dock · 6 trailer spaces · restroom |
| Hanging Horn Lake | Hanging Horn Lake East | Carlton County | carry-in · 2 docks |
| Eagle Lake | Eagle Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | trailer launch · 1 ramp · concrete ramp · 1 dock · 15 trailer spaces · restroom |
| Park Lake | Park Lake | Atkinson Township | trailer launch · 1 ramp · gravel ramp · 1 dock · 2 trailer spaces |
| Chub Lake | Chub Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | trailer launch · 1 ramp · concrete ramp · 1 dock · 9 trailer spaces · restroom |
| Moosehead Lake | Moosehead Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | trailer launch · 1 ramp · gravel ramp · 1 dock · 7 trailer spaces |
| Tamarack Lake | Tamarack Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | trailer launch · 1 ramp · concrete ramp · 1 dock · 7 trailer spaces |
| St. Louis River - Fond du Lac Reservoir | St. Louis River, Fond du Lac Reservoir | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | carry-in · natural ramp |
| Miller Lake | Miller Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | carry-in · natural ramp · 2 trailer spaces |
| Cole Lake | Cole Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | trailer launch · 1 ramp · natural ramp · 7 trailer spaces |
| Hay Lake | Hay Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | trailer launch · 1 ramp · gravel ramp · 6 trailer spaces |
| Sand Lake | Sand Lake | Carlton County | trailer launch · 1 ramp · natural ramp · 2 trailer spaces · restroom |
| Little Hanging Horn Lake | Little Hanging Horn Lake | Baldwin Township | trailer launch · 1 ramp · gravel ramp · 1 dock · 3 trailer spaces |
| Echo Lake | Echo Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | trailer launch · 1 ramp · concrete ramp · 1 dock · 8 trailer spaces · restroom |
| Bear Lake near Barnum | Bear Lake | Carlton County | trailer launch · 1 ramp · concrete ramp · 1 dock · 6 trailer spaces · restroom |
| Bob Lake | Bob Lake | Atkinson Township | trailer launch · 1 ramp · natural ramp · 4 trailer spaces |
| Graham Lake | Graham Lake | DNR Division of Parks and Trails | carry-in · natural ramp · 3 trailer spaces |
Minnesota DNR public water access sites, fetched 26 Oct 2026. The record has no open or closed status.
Minnesota DNR lake surveys have recorded fish in 33 lakes in Carlton County: walleye in 21, northern pike in 29 and largemouth bass in 21. Minnesota DNR stocking reports list 11 lakes stocked here between 2016 and 2025, 47 stockings in all. Walleye went into 9 lakes. In 2025, the latest year on record, 2 lakes were stocked.
| Game fish | Lakes | Largest lakes where recorded |
|---|---|---|
| Walleye | 21 | Island Lake · Hanging Horn Lake · St. Louis River - Thomson Reservoir · Eagle Lake · Park Lake and 16 more |
| Northern pike | 29 | Big Lake · Island Lake · Hanging Horn Lake · St. Louis River - Thomson Reservoir · Eagle Lake and 24 more |
| Largemouth bass | 21 | Big Lake · Island Lake · Hanging Horn Lake · Eagle Lake · Park Lake and 16 more |
| Smallmouth bass | 5 | St. Louis River - Thomson Reservoir · Moosehead Lake · St. Louis River - Fond du Lac Reservoir · St. Louis River - Scanlon Reservoir · Forbay Lake |
| Black crappie | 28 | Big Lake · Island Lake · Hanging Horn Lake · St. Louis River - Thomson Reservoir · Eagle Lake and 23 more |
| Bluegill | 28 | Big Lake · Island Lake · Hanging Horn Lake · Eagle Lake · Park Lake and 23 more |
| Yellow perch | 28 | Big Lake · Island Lake · Hanging Horn Lake · St. Louis River - Thomson Reservoir · Eagle Lake and 23 more |
| Rainbow trout | 1 | Corona Lake |
| Brook trout | 1 | Forbay Lake |
| Channel catfish | 5 | St. Louis River - Thomson Reservoir · Moosehead Lake · St. Louis River - Fond du Lac Reservoir · St. Louis River - Scanlon Reservoir · Forbay Lake |
2025: 4 stockings, 214,710 fish in 2 lakes.
Species recorded in Minnesota DNR lake surveys (game fish by DNR's own list) and Minnesota DNR stocking reports, which give the year, not the day; via LakeFinder, fetched 26 Oct 2026. How we measure
Minnesota DNR lists at least one invasive species for 4 lakes in Carlton County: Eurasian watermilfoil in 4. Moving water, plants or animals between lakes spreads them; DNR's rules apply at every access.
| Species | Lakes | Largest lakes listed |
|---|---|---|
| Eurasian watermilfoil | 4 | Hanging Horn Lake · Chub Lake · Little Hanging Horn Lake · Bear Lake near Barnum |
Minnesota DNR invasive species designations, as listed in LakeFinder, fetched 26 Oct 2026.
5 lakes here have a page of their own, with a depth map drawn from Minnesota DNR survey contours, the stocking record and the latest fish survey.
Chosen by search demand: Google Keyword Planner, October 2026. How we measure
97 lakes of 10 acres or more, 74 of them named, in Minnesota DNR hydrography. Smaller ponds are not counted.
Perch Lake, at 665 acres.
Hanging Horn Lake, 80 ft at its deepest point by Minnesota DNR survey.
Moose Lake, with measured Secchi readings averaging about 15 ft.
Minnesota DNR lists public water access sites on Perch Lake, Big Lake, Kettle Lake near Cromwell, Island Lake, Hanging Horn Lake, Eagle Lake, Park Lake, Chub Lake and 12 more.
Minnesota DNR surveys have recorded walleye in 21 lakes here, the largest Island Lake, Hanging Horn Lake, St. Louis River - Thomson Reservoir, Eagle Lake, Park Lake and Chub Lake.