Arvilla Lake
Meeker County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 47002300
DNR records show 2 stocking entries at Arvilla Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2018 (138,000 fish).
- Arvilla Lake has 2 DNR stocking records across 2 years (2016-2018): walleye (2).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 277,713 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 9 ft; surface area 138 acres, 138 littoral acres, 2.3 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 1.7 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, shorthead redhorse, and 4 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Meeker County, nearest town Kingston; DNR lake number (DOW) 47002300.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 138,000 | 1.6 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 139,713 | 1.2 |
Field note · Minnesota stocks by year, not by truck day: walleye fry go in within weeks of ice-out, fingerlings and yearlings mostly in fall, and stream trout in spring and fall. A row here means the fish went in during that year; DNR adds the year's rows after the fact, so the current year can look empty until winter.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR |
DNR fish survey, 2018
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 32.00 | 192 | 0.51 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 27.00 | 162 | 0.13 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 13.50 | 81 | 2.82 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 7.33 | 44 | 0.14 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard gill nets | 3.33 | 20 | 3.77 |
| Golden shiner | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 18 | 0.07 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 1.83 | 11 | 1.87 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 1.33 | 8 | 2.38 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 27.89 | 251 | 0.14 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 11.33 | 102 | 0.34 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 5.44 | 49 | 0.55 |
| Common carp | Standard trap nets | 5.00 | 45 | 5.13 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard trap nets | 4.78 | 43 | 3.41 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 4.33 | 39 | 3.89 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 3.22 | 29 | 0.60 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 1.22 | 11 | 1.91 |
Catch per net (CPUE) is the DNR survey's count per gill net or trap net set; higher means more of that species were sampled, not a fishing forecast. Top species per gear shown; where we have no verified common name for a DNR code, the code itself is shown.
A standard survey was conducted at Arvilla Lake beginning on 7/09/18 to monitor the lake's fish population and evaluate the Walleye fry stocking regime. Arvilla is a class 43 lake and net catches were compared to similar lakes around the state. The 2014 lake management plan (LMP) lists Black Crappie, Northern Pike, and Walleye as primary management species, while Bluegill and White Crappie were ranked as secondary species at Arvilla. In 2018, a total of 16 species, plus Hybrid Sunfish, were sampled in the gill nets (GN) and trap nets (TN). The dissolved oxygen concentration fell below 2.0 mg/l at 9 feet. The maximum depth recorded for this survey was 10.0 feet. Water clarity was poor with a secchi disk reading of 1.8 feet, due to an algae bloom. Arvilla has a long history of experiencing partial winterkills with the latest events occurring in 2001, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, and 2014. In the past, development of a stable fishery was not possible due to winterkill frequency but this could be changing as winterkill frequency and winter severity diminish. Fish presently have had four years to grow in the absence of winterkill and anecdotal reports indicated good fishing for Bluegill, Black Crappie, Northern Pike, and Yellow Perch in that timespan. Fish that survived the 2014 partial winterkill likely grew fast and reached a large size quickly due to reduced competition. Frequency and severity of winterkill can greatly influence fish abundance at Arvilla Lake. Only Walleye were stocked following the 2014 winterkill as other species had the opportunity to repopulate via immigration from the river or from spawning events from surviving broodstock. Curlyleaf pondweed, a non-native invasive aquatic plant, can be abundant (forming surface mats) in May and June at Arvilla Lake. Anglers should be extra careful to drain all the water from their boats when leaving Arvilla Lake because upstream Washington Lake has been designated as being infested with the zebra mussel, an aquatic invasive species. Gill nets (GN) sampled low numbers of Walleye (8) for a catch rate of 1.3/net, which was below the normal range for this lake type. The 2014 LMP's long range goal for Walleye (>2.3/GN) was not met. The 2009 catch rate was moderate (6.0/net), and was the only historical catch rate that was within the lake's normal range. Catch rates from 1977 to 2018 (n=8), under various stocking regimes, were mostly low ranging from 0.0 to 6.0/net with an average of 1.3. In 2018, gill netted Walleye were 16.1 to 22.2 inches long with an average of 19.0. Trap nets sampled Walleye up to 26.3…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
All Minnesota stockings · every Minnesota lake with a page · state CSV · this lake on DNR LakeFinder
Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02; contours are the DNR bathymetric survey. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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