A man who appears to have gone out in a canoe with his dog on a Minnesota lake was found dead not far from the shore.

The Carlton County Sheriff's Office said the body of a 67-year-old from Eden Prairie was pulled from Bob Lake in northeast Minnesota, after he was reported missing from a family property near the lake around 6:20 p.m. on Thursday.

A friend had gone to the lakeshore to check on him and found a submerged canoe about 40 feet from the dock – and in the canoe was the man's dog.

Deputies were called to the scene and rescued the dog, but they saw no sign of the man in the immediate vicinity. The St. Louis County Rescue Squad was called to search the lake and, after using specialized equipment, found the man's submerged body nearby.

His identity has not been revealed as family are still being informed.

Drownings and boating fatalities rise during the warmer months as more Minnesotans head to the lakes.

The most recent figures for water fatalities are from 2015, when according to the DNR 53 people dies in boating accidents or non-boating drownings in the state. According to Lake Link, Bob Lake is 74 acres in size and around 30 feet deep at its deepest point.