Splake across Minnesota
Finding and keeping splake under Minnesota rules.
- 5 combined total (onlimit
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Where splake fit in Minnesota
The DNR files Splake under the trout and salmon family. The streams statewide except southeast minnesota (see below) rule allows 5 combined total (only 1 over 16″); season April 11 – Sept. 30, 2026.
Survey crews found it in 43 lakes, 48 of which have pages. At 49 per gill net, Norway Lake, Lake County leads the lakes on this site.
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“A type of large rainbow trout that lives most of its life in Lake Superior and spawns in large North Shore rivers is called a steelhead. A cross between a lake trout and a brook trout, called a splake, is also found in some northern lakes.”
- A splake is a cross between a brook trout and a lake trout; tell brook trout, splake and lake trout apart by the tail.identification
- A type of large rainbow trout that lives most of its life in Lake Superior and spawns in large North Shore rivers is called a steelhead.habitat
- A cross between a lake trout and a brook trout, called a splake, is also found in some northern lakes.habitat
Quoted from the DNR fish page and the 2026 regulations identification guide, checked October 2026.
The splake limit
| Where | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Streams statewide except Southeast Minnesota (see below) | 5 combined total (only 1 over 16") | April 11 – Sept. 30, 2026 |
| Lakes statewide | 5 combined total (not more than 3 over 16") | May 9 – Oct. 31, 2026 |
| Lakes outside or partly outside the BWCAW | 5 combined total (not more than 3 over 16") | 2026 season: Jan. 17 – March 31; 2027 season: Jan. 16 – March 31 |
| Lakes entirely within the BWCAW | 5 combined total (not more than 3 over 16") | 2026 season: Jan. 1 – March 31; 2027 season: Jan. 1 – March 31 |
| Little Andrus (Snowshoe), Cass County; Allen and Pleasant, Crow Wing County; Bad Medicine, Becker County | Winter season closed for stream trout | Winter season closed for stream trout |
| Lake Superior and tributaries below posted boundaries | 1 (combined total brook trout, splake, brown trout and rainbow trout is 5); minimum size 20" | April 11 – Sept. 30, 2026 |
2026 Minnesota Fishing Regulations. All Minnesota limits.
Where the splake surveys ran highest
| Lake | Per gill net | Normal range | Avg lb | Survey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norway Lake, Lake County | 49 | 0.38 | 2022 | |
| Divide Lake | 36 | 0.55 | 2022 | |
| Echo Lake, Lake County | 36 | 0.48 | 2023 | |
| Bear Lake near Silver Bay, Lake County | 35 | 0.68 | 2024 | |
| Musquash Lake | 27 | 0.74 | 2025 | |
| Thrasher Lake | 23.5 | 0.78 | 2021 | |
| Moosehorn Lake | 22 | 1.29 | 2016 | |
| Bean Lake, Lake County | 18 | 0.48 | 2024 | |
| Pine Mountain Lake, Cook County | 15.5 | 0.94 | 2021 | |
| Erskine Lake, Itasca County | 12 | 1.17 | 2008 | |
| Dan Lake | 10.5 | 1.3 | 2025 | |
| Pine Creek | 10 | 0.81 | 2018 |
DNR LakeFinder latest survey per lake; standard and special gill nets.
Minnesota waters to try for splake
Lakes with splake
- St. Louis River Estuary10,255 acres
- Alder Lake529 acres
- Long Lake near Aitkin, Aitkin County435 acres
- Winchester Lake319 acres
- High Lake274 acres
- Larson Lake, Itasca County208 acres
- Kemo Lake189 acres
- Tofte Lake134 acres
- Musquash Lake131 acres
- Portage Lake, Cook County128 acres
- Iron Lake, Cook County122 acres
- Pine Mountain Lake, Cook County106 acres
- Pine Creek98 acres
- Pierz Lake, Cook County89 acres
- Morgan Lake, Cook County84 acres
- Dry Lake82 acres
- Kremer Lake78 acres
- Esther Lake78 acres
- Kimball Lake, Cook County77 acres
- Lost Lake, Cook County76 acres
- Moosehorn Lake66 acres
- Divide Lake61 acres
- Mink Lake, Cook County57 acres
- Beaver Hut Lake55 acres
Streams with splake
- St. Louis RiverSt. Louis
DNR LakeFinder survey lists; largest lakes first.
Fish grouped with splake
- Lake trouttrout and salmon family
- Brook trouttrout and salmon family
- Brown trouttrout and salmon family
- Rainbow trouttrout and salmon family
- Steelheadtrout and salmon family
- Tiger trouttrout and salmon family
- Chinook salmontrout and salmon family
- Coho salmontrout and salmon family
- Pink salmontrout and salmon family
- Atlantic salmontrout and salmon family
- Kokanee salmontrout and salmon family
- Lake whitefishtrout and salmon family
Photos of places near Splake
Photo: Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Tony Webster from Portland, Oregon, United States, CC BY 2.0
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Photo: Ronfar623 on en.wikipedia, CC BY 1.0
Photo: Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
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Minnesota splake, asked by anglers
What is the limit on splake?
5 combined total (only 1 over 16") (Streams statewide except Southeast Minnesota (see below)), season April 11 – Sept. 30, 2026.
What is the Minnesota record splake?
The DNR record tables have no entry for it.
Which waters produce splake?
Norway Lake, Lake County leads the DNR gill net catch at 49 per net; 49 waters on this site list it.
Are splake on the stocking pages?
Not on the DNR area stocking pages collected here.
What scientific name does the DNR use for splake?
A splake is a cross between a brook trout and a lake trout; tell brook trout, splake and lake trout apart by the tail.
Is splake season open right now in Minnesota?
April 11 – Sept. 30, 2026
Is a stamp needed for splake?
Designated trout water takes a Minnesota angling license ($25 resident, $51 nonresident) and the $10 trout and salmon stamp validation for ages 18 to 64.
Do Minnesota guides take trips for splake?
See the guides page.