Big Stone NWR East Pool
Lac Qui Parle County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 37035100
DNR records show 8 stocking entries at Big Stone NWR East Pool since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (500,000 fish).
- Big Stone NWR East Pool has 8 DNR stocking records across 8 years (2016-2025): walleye (8).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 4,701,002 fish on record.
- ; surface area 1,286 acres, 16.8 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 2.4 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: common carp, largemouth bass, orangespotted sunfish, suckers, sunfish, walleye, white bass, yellow perch.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Lac Qui Parle County, nearest town Odessa; DNR lake number (DOW) 37035100.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 500,000 | 4.2 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 599,420 | 4.9 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 600,000 | 5.5 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 600,000 | 5.6 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 600,000 | 5.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 600,000 | 5.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 600,000 | 5.2 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 601,582 | 6.1 |
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.
DNR fish survey, 2013
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 1/4-in trap nets | 31.50 | 378 | 0.00 |
| Black crappie | 1/4-in trap nets | 16.00 | 192 | 0.00 |
| Yellow bullhead | 1/4-in trap nets | 12.00 | 144 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | 1/4-in trap nets | 1.50 | 18 | 0.00 |
| Orangespotted sunfish | 1/4-in trap nets | 0.75 | 9 | 0.00 |
| Spottail shiner | 1/4-in trap nets | 0.33 | 4 | 0.00 |
| Hybrid sunfish | 1/4-in trap nets | 0.17 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Black bullhead | 1/4-in trap nets | 0.17 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 11.40 | 57 | 0.19 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 11.20 | 56 | 0.96 |
| Shorthead redhorse | Standard gill nets | 3.60 | 18 | 1.20 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 10 | 0.39 |
| Channel catfish | Standard gill nets | 1.80 | 9 | 1.71 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 1.60 | 8 | 1.15 |
| Golden redhorse | Standard gill nets | 1.40 | 7 | 1.35 |
| Common carp | Standard gill nets | 1.40 | 7 | 8.42 |
| Shorthead redhorse | Standard trap nets | 2.44 | 22 | 1.51 |
| Common carp | Standard trap nets | 2.33 | 21 | 8.00 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 1.33 | 12 | 0.27 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 1.11 | 10 | 0.38 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 9 | 0.40 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 1.71 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.91 |
| Golden redhorse | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.32 |
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.
The East Pool of the Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge (East Pool) is a reservoir of the Minnesota River with water levels regulated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in cooperation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for waterfowl and shorebirds. Public access is allowed but motorized equipment is not. Shore fishing exists along the face of the highway 75 dam, in its tail waters, and at a handicapped-accessible shore fishing location at No-Bridge, just outside of Odessa. Fishing opportunities also exist at the low flow structure (including handicap-accessible) in the northeast corner of the East Pool. Ice fishing is also common during winter months. Twenty-three fish species were sampled in 2013 compared to 30 in 2008. Underutilized species such as black bullhead, white sucker, and shorthead redhorse were the most abundant species sampled. Game fish species were sampled in low abundance. Sampled black crappie ranged from 5 - 11 inches, channel catfish from 7 - 25 inches, northern pike from 21 - 32 inches, and walleye from 12 - 17 inches. Although abundances were low, anglers have reported having moderate success for northern pike and walleye, particular during winter. Future fish management activities include stocking 1.5 million walleye fry in 2014, and fish population assessment in 2018.
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. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
Hear when the states we cover post stockings
One email a week in season: which waters in the states we cover were stocked, straight from the state agencies' own postings. No spam, no fishing-gear ads in the mail.
Free · double opt-in · unsubscribe anytime · we store only your email.