Betty Lake
Meeker County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 47004200
DNR records show 3 stocking entries at Betty Lake since 2017, most recently walleye fry in 2021 (46,173 fish).
- Betty Lake has 3 DNR stocking records across 3 years (2017-2021): walleye (3).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 136,173 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 29 ft; surface area 154 acres, 90 littoral acres, 2.2 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 2.7 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), channel catfish, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, and 3 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Meeker County, nearest town Kimball; DNR lake number (DOW) 47004200.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey (get source); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 46,173 | 0.4 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 45,000 | 0.5 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 45,000 | 0.4 |
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 | On the Clearwater River; about 1/2 mile upstream (west) of the lake. - Low water levels, in the river, can make accessing Betty Lake difficult some years. |
DNR fish survey, 2022
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 18.00 | 108 | 0.28 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 13.33 | 80 | 2.20 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 9.83 | 59 | 2.90 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 7.83 | 47 | 0.19 |
| Channel catfish | Standard gill nets | 4.83 | 29 | 3.41 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 3.83 | 23 | 1.06 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 3.50 | 21 | 3.88 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 3.50 | 21 | 0.14 |
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.
Betty, also known as Betsy, is a small-sized lake (154 acres) located southeast of the City of Kimball in Meeker County. A small state-owned access with a single cement boat ramp is present on the Clearwater River, about half a mile west of the lake. Betty has two miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 29 feet. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has divided Minnesota's lakes into 44 different classes based on physical and chemical characteristics. Betty is a class 24 lake and other similar lakes in the Hutchinson Fisheries Management Area are Erie and Manuella in Meeker County. Curlyleaf pondweed can be abundant in the shallows in May and June at Betty Lake. Low water levels on the Clearwater River can make it difficult for bigger boats to access the lake. Accessing the lake during winter months can be dangerous due to the thin ice caused by flowing river water. Walleye were sampled in low to moderate abundance in 2022, with fish averaging 21 inches in length. The longest Walleye sampled was 27 inches. Approximately 95% of the catch was 16 inches and longer. Walleye were age-1 to age-15 with seven year classes being present. Naturally reproduced Walleye contributed substantially to the 2022 catch. Few (3 of 21) of the Walleye aged in the 2022 survey matched up with years when fry were stocked. Because of natural reproduction and the connection to the Clearwater River, walleye fry stocking at Betty Lake will be discontinued. Moderate to high numbers of Northern Pike were gill netted this year with fish averaging 23 inches in length. Approximately 24% of pike netted were 26 inches or longer, showing fair numbers of nice-sized fish present. Northern pike regulations were revised at a statewide level beginning in 2018 to better accommodate regional differences in pike habitats and population abundance and size structuring. Three zones were established for northern pike with their own bag and length limit restrictions. In the north-central zone where Betty Lake is found, anglers can keep up to 10 northern pike, but no more than two pike larger than 26 inches; and all pike from 22 to 26 inches must be released. This zone regulation is meant to reduce small pike abundance by shifting population size structure back to more medium to large pike. Moderate to high numbers of Black Crappie were netted in 2022. Approximately 22% of the gill net catch was 9 inches or longer. The longest Black Crappie sampled was just over 13 inches. Low numbers of Yellow Perch were netted and most were small but they provide important forage for the lake's…
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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