Carlos Lake
Douglas County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 21005700
DNR records show 23 stocking entries at Carlos Lake since 2016, most recently walleye yearlings in 2025 (4,800 fish).
- Carlos Lake has 23 DNR stocking records across 10 years (2016-2025): walleye (23).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 125,859 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 163 ft, mean depth 50 ft; surface area 2,605 acres, 922 littoral acres, 12.8 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 17.1 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, greater redhorse, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, and 9 more.
- 4 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Douglas County, nearest town Carlos; DNR lake number (DOW) 21005700.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 8/11/1960 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye1 | yearlings | 4,800 | 260.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | yearlings | 298 | 298.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | fingerlings | 740 | 148.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | adults | 403 | 474.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye1 | yearlings | 5,000 | 250.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye | yearlings | 3,147 | 208.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fingerlings | 3,913 | 608.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye1 | yearlings | 3,750 | 250.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fingerlings | 14,656 | 600.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 5,037 | 178.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 9,590 | 422.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fingerlings | 1,162 | 133.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fingerlings | 1,075 | 215.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 12,066 | 600.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fingerlings | 14,572 | 461.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fingerlings | 9,024 | 461.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 17,057 | 461.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fingerlings | 1,330 | 95.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | yearlings | 14 | 7.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye1 | yearlings | 3,000 | 300.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fingerlings | 14,131 | 800.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | yearlings | 831 | 81.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | adults | 263 | 153.0 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups. 2 fish purchased by the DNR for stocking.
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 | |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | |
| concrete ramp | TOW |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brassy minnow | 50-ft beach seine | 82.74 | 1,572 | 0.00 |
| Common shiner | 50-ft beach seine | 76.16 | 1,447 | 0.00 |
| Blacknose shiner | 50-ft beach seine | 30.53 | 580 | 0.00 |
| Brook stickleback | 50-ft beach seine | 28.84 | 548 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | 50-ft beach seine | 24.21 | 460 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | 50-ft beach seine | 19.26 | 366 | 0.00 |
| Spottail shiner | 50-ft beach seine | 15.58 | 296 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | 50-ft beach seine | 8.95 | 170 | 0.00 |
| Common shiner | 15-ft beach seine | 58.20 | 291 | 0.00 |
| Brassy minnow | 15-ft beach seine | 24.80 | 124 | 0.00 |
| Brook stickleback | 15-ft beach seine | 7.20 | 36 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | 15-ft beach seine | 4.20 | 21 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | 15-ft beach seine | 3.60 | 18 | 0.00 |
| Blacknose shiner | 15-ft beach seine | 3.60 | 18 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | 15-ft beach seine | 2.40 | 12 | 0.00 |
| Spottail shiner | 15-ft beach seine | 2.40 | 12 | 0.00 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Backpack electrofishing | 29.16 | 70 | 0.00 |
| Green sunfish | Backpack electrofishing | 26.66 | 64 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | Backpack electrofishing | 11.25 | 27 | 0.00 |
| Rock bass | Backpack electrofishing | 10.42 | 25 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | Backpack electrofishing | 9.58 | 23 | 0.00 |
| Brassy minnow | Backpack electrofishing | 7.08 | 17 | 0.00 |
| Common shiner | Backpack electrofishing | 5.42 | 13 | 0.00 |
| HHC | Backpack electrofishing | 5.42 | 13 | 0.00 |
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 targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Lake Carlos was conducted beginning on August 20, 2024, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 24 sampling stations. A 50-foot seine was used to sample 20 stations, and a 15-foot seine was used at 4 stations. Nearshore sampling captured 33 species of fish, including 9 species that are intolerant of disturbance (Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Logperch, Mimic Shiner, Pugnose Shiner, Rock Bass, and Smallmouth Bass) and 3 species that are tolerant of disturbance (Black Bullhead, Fathead Minnow, and Green Sunfish). The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from a survey conducted by area fisheries staff in July of 2024 to describe the fish community and provide a fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Green Sunfish and Common Carp). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. The survey results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Long Prairie River Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. Lake Carlos supports recreational angling opportunities for numerous game fish species, including Walleye, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, and Black Crappie. Additionally, 33 species were captured in the recent nearshore survey, showing Lake Carlos supports a remarkable degree of fish diversity. Of these, an impressive 14 species were members of the minnow family. You can help protect the fish species in Lake Carlos by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.
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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