Cedar Island Lake
Stearns County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 73013300
DNR records show 6 stocking entries at Cedar Island Lake since 2017, most recently muskellunge fingerlings in 2025 (515 fish).
- Cedar Island Lake has 6 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2017-2025): muskellunge (5), walleye (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 755,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 75 ft, mean depth 7 ft; surface area 986 acres, 755 littoral acres, 27.1 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 3.3 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, greater redhorse, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, and 10 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Stearns County, nearest town Richmond; DNR lake number (DOW) 73013300.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 515 | 137.7 |
| 2023 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 515 | 128.8 |
| 2021 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 515 | 117.0 |
| 2019 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 515 | 151.5 |
| 2017 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 515 | 154.7 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 755,000 | 7.5 |
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | The public access is located three miles south east of Richmond on County Road 71. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | Fall electrofishing | 43.55 | 42 | 1.32 |
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.
Cedar Island Lake is located near Richmond in south-central Stearns County. A public access is located on the east side of the lake off County Road 71; however, navigable channels connect Cedar Island with Horseshoe Lake and the other downstream lakes within the Sauk River Chain of Lakes (SRCL). Cedar Island Lake has a surface area of 998 acres and a maximum depth of 75 feet. Prior to 2001, the Walleye fishery was supported through fingerling stocking during odd-numbered years. In 2001, the stocking strategy switched from fingerling stocking to fry stocking and was often supplemented by natural reproduction and fry stocking by the lake association. Fall electrofishing for young-of-the-year (YOY) Walleye was only conducted during stocked years until 2015, when annual sampling was initiated due to the documentation of naturally reproduced year classes. Results from fall YOY electrofishing surveys indicated strong natural reproduction, and Walleye stocking was discontinued in 2018. A targeted fall electrofishing survey was conducted on October 13, 2025. No YOY Walleye were collected during this survey ; however, 42 age-1+ Walleye were captured at a rate of 43.6/hr. Walleye ranged in length from 10.2 to 24.7 inches with and average length of 15.0 inches.. Since the discontinuance of fry stocking in 2018, fall YOY Walleye catch rates have ranged from 0 to 104.2/hr, with a long-term average of approximately 55/hr. Annual fall YOY electrofishing will continue. However, due to YOY Walleye catches remaining below 25/hr for two consecutive years (2024 and 2025), Walleye fry will be stocked in spring 2026 in accordance with the Lake Management Plan.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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