15 miles west of Grand Marais
Cook County, Minnesota · 47.7150° N, 90.6701° W
Directions to Caribou Lake Public Water Access SiteApple Maps
Directions open in Google or Apple Maps, to the Minnesota DNR public access site.
Updated 15 Oct 2026, 4:40 pm EDT.
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Minnesota DNR lake survey, fetched 15 Oct 2026. Not for navigation.
1 public access site on Caribou Lake.
Minnesota DNR public water accesses, fetched 15 Oct 2026.
Minnesota DNR’s latest standard fish survey of Caribou Lake was in July 2022: 9 gill nets and 9 trap nets caught 9 species. The DNR also ran a targeted survey in August 2025; this section uses the latest standard survey.
Walleye per gill net, standard surveys: 2008 8.5 · 2011 7.4 · 2014 6.7 · 2017 5.7 · 2022 7.3
Bluegill per trap net, standard surveys: 2008 0.4 · 2011 0.8 · 2014 2.0 · 2017 1.2 · 2022 0.1
Walleye: 67 measured, 7 to 22 in, half 11 in or longer; average 0.69 lb, below normal (normal 0.7–1.3 lb).
Northern pike: 26 measured, 17 to 35 in, half 20 in or longer; average 1.9 lb, normal (normal 1.5–2.4 lb).
Smallmouth bass: 30 measured, 2 to 18 in, half 5 in or longer; average 1.9 lb, normal (normal 0.3–2.2 lb).
Bluegill: 18 measured, 1 to 7 in, half 1 in or longer; average 0.32 lb, normal (normal 0.1–0.4 lb).
Yellow perch: 176 measured, 1 to 10 in, half 1 in or longer; average 0.11 lb, normal (normal 0.1–0.3 lb).
Also caught: white sucker.
Source: Minnesota DNR Fisheries lake survey, 11 Jul 2022, via LakeFinder, fetched 15 Oct 2026. Normal range: DNR’s range for lakes of the same class (43 classes, grouped by water chemistry and shape). Each line has its own scale. How we measure
Measured water clarity averages about 8 ft: the Secchi depth across 11 readings, 1951–2022.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and volunteer Secchi readings, via Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, fetched 15 Oct 2026.
Minnesota DNR lake survey; straight-line miles.
Caribou Lake is 30 feet at its deepest point, measured by Minnesota DNR survey. It covers 721 acres.
Yes. 1 public access site is listed: Caribou Lake Public Water Access Site.
Minnesota DNR’s July 2022 standard survey caught 9 species, most often walleye, yellow perch, northern pike and smallmouth bass.
About 66% of the lake's area is deeper than 10 feet, measured from Minnesota DNR depth contours.