Written by Kari Sundberg
Jun 12, 2025
The pit just got its yearly boost...your summer fishing spot is waiting.
Every summer like clockwork, the Minnesota DNR stocks the Fourtown gravel pit with fish, giving folks in the Grygla area a chance to cast a line close to home. And thanks to the support of the Fourtown-Grygla Sportsman’s Club, the spot has become even more family-friendly in recent years. A fishing pier was added a few years ago through a grant written by the club, making it a great little getaway for kids, families and pretty much anyone looking to unwind outdoors. Holthusen Construction also deserves a shout-out for keeping the onsite beach clear and accessible for folks to also enjoy. You’ll find plenty of locals out there on a hot summer day.
Andrew Weiring, a Fisheries Specialist with the Minnesota DNR out of Bemidji, made the trip up last week to get this year’s stocking done. The numbers were a bit lighter than usual since the fish had to be divided up between a few different locations this time around, including Bullhead Lake in Kelliher. Still, Fourtown got a healthy share.
All the fish came from Balm Lake near Clearbrook, and crews from Baudette pitched in to help. Weiring has been in this line of work for about 12 years and said the operation is always a bit of a production.
“We hammer them at Balm Lake,” he said, meaning they usually scoop up fish until the boats are full. Day one of the haul brought in 312 pounds of fish, all of which went to Kelliher. Day two dipped to 100 pounds and by day three, the total was down to 60 pounds.
The Fourtown pit ended up with two releases this year. First round was 80 pounds of panfish. The second round brought another 30 pounds. That adds up to just over half of the usual summer target of 200 pounds.
The fish are mostly panfish like bluegills and pumpkinseeds, with a few crappies and bass mixed in. Pumpkinseeds are pretty similar to bluegills, just with a bit more color. Long ago, the Fourtown pit was stocked with rainbow trout, but the water was too shallow. They’d either get fished out right away or freeze out in the winter. Now it’s mainly panfish with some bass sprinkled in, and that’s been working out just fine.
Crews use a couple of different methods to get the fish out of Balm Lake. One involves putting a special boat in the water that sends an electric current through the lake, which stuns the fish just long enough for them to be scooped up in nets. After a minute or two in the live well, the fish perk back up and are good to go. This method usually happens at night. “At night it’s nice because the fish just sit there like deer in the headlights and we just drive over them and shock them,” Weiring explained. “During the day you can see a big school in front of you trying to outrun the boat.”
They also use trap nets as another method.
Balm Lake is the go-to source every year. Back in the day, it was loaded with small panfish around six inches long, nothing worth keeping. Locals weren’t thrilled when the DNR first started netting fish out of there. But now, after nearly 40 years, they’ve seen the payoff. Those fish are growing to 10 inches or more. “Less people at the buffet line, they can eat a lot more and grow a lot faster,” Weiring said. “It’s made a big difference.”
The Bemidji and Baudette offices usually tag-team the retrieval efforts at Balm Lake. Baudette stocks Florian and often helps haul fish up to small pits north of Red Lake. This year, a crew from International Falls came down too.
“We’ve been stocking the pit with fish for decades,” said Weiring. “It’s a great thing for the area since there really aren’t any other fishing options nearby.” Holthusen Construction holds the gravel rights at the pit, but the land is state-owned. The combination of the water, pier and beach makes for a well-supported and much-used recreation spot.
If you’re looking for a little peace and quiet with a pole in hand, the Fourtown pit is ready for you.
Pictured is Andrew Weiring, a Fisheries Specialist with the Minnesota DNR out of Bemidji. The Northern Neighbor met Weiring out at the pit and got in on the action. This short video footage below was shared on The Northern Neighbor Facebook page.