Budd Lake
Martin County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 46003000
DNR records show 18 stocking entries at Budd Lake since 2016, most recently bluegill sunfish adults in 2025 (2,500 fish).
- Budd Lake has 18 DNR stocking records across 8 years (2016-2025): walleye (11), muskellunge (5), bluegill sunfish (1), yellow perch (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 336,302 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 23 ft; surface area 228 acres, 111 littoral acres, 2.2 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 2.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, freshwater drum, green sunfish, hybrid crappie, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, and 8 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Martin County, nearest town Fairmont; DNR lake number (DOW) 46003000.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 8/23/1956 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Bluegill Sunfish1 | adults | 2,500 | 250.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 55,500 | 0.5 |
| 2025 | Yellow Perch1 | adults | 2,502 | 53.0 |
| 2024 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 59 | 15.1 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 55,500 | 0.4 |
| 2024 | Walleye | yearlings | 214 | 107.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 55,500 | 0.4 |
| 2022 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 59 | 11.9 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 55,500 | 0.5 |
| 2021 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 59 | 19.7 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 55,000 | 0.4 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fingerlings | 1,251 | 61.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 55,500 | 0.5 |
| 2018 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 59 | 10.3 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fingerlings | 1,441 | 137.0 |
| 2016 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 59 | 13.9 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fingerlings | 882 | 98.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | yearlings | 14 | 14.0 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups.
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 | city | - CITY OF FAIRMONT PARK ON SOUTH SIDE |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muskellunge | Special electrofishing | 1.03 | 7 | 8.46 |
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.
Located within the City of Fairmont in Martin County, the "Fairmont Chain of Lakes" is an impoundment of Center Creek which is a tributary to the Blue Earth River and includes, from upstream to downstream, Amber Lake (182 acres), Hall Lake (548 acres), Budd Lake (227 acres), Sisseton Lake (138 acres), and George Lake (83 acres). The lakes are managed primarily for Walleye and Muskellunge and secondarily for Yellow Perch, Bluegill, and Crappie. Muskellunge are a recently new introduction to the Fairmont Chain of Lakes with an initial stocking in 2016. Muskellunge provide an apex predator population and biological control for undesired species along with an additional angling opportunity. Spring sampling utilizing electrofishing and cooperation with the commercial fisherman (seining) was used to collect Muskellunge for data collection to determine size and health of Muskie in the chain-of-lakes. Muskie were first introduced to the Fairmont Chain of Lakes unsuccessfully in 1968 following a fish toxicant (rotenone) reclamation project in 1967. Those Muskie were stocked as fry (10,000 individuals estimated by weight) and typically do not survive well without proper nursery habitat. Since 1968, no Muskie were reported from that stocking. Additionally, the fish toxicant reclamation project had minimal success and undesirable species (Common Carp, Bigmouth Buffalo, Freshwater Drum, and Black Bullhead) continued to be abundant. Additionally, Yellow Bass were illegally introduced (most likely bucket stocked) in the Fairmont Chain of Lakes, with several first found in 2013, and have since established a self-sustaining population. To help control the undesirable fish populations and provide an additional angling opportunity, Muskellunge were re-introduced in 2016. Three hundred and fourteen Muskellunge fingerlings (over 10 inches but less than 15 inches) were stocked in 2016. The same number of Muskellunge were stocked again in 2018, 2021 (supposed to be 2020 but COVID-19 pandemic shut down egg-take operations), 2022, and 2024. Sampling, with large frame trap nets and electrofishing was first done during the spring of 2024. In 2024, zero Muskie were caught in large frame trap nets. Twelve Muskie were sampled in 12.7 hours of electrofishing for a catch rate of 0.95 Muskie per hour. One of the twelve Muskie was recaptured twice, so a total of 10 unique Muskie were sampled (fish are uniquely marked with PIT tags). Muskie sampled in 2024 averaged 38.4 inches with only 1 female Muskie (41 inches) and the rest male (average = 38.2 inches). In addition, 3 Muskie were…
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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