Cedar Lake (McLeod County)
McLeod County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 43011500
Cedar Lake (McLeod County) has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- Cedar Lake (McLeod County) shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 8 ft; surface area 1,860 acres, 1,860 littoral acres, 22.9 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 3.1 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, and 4 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- McLeod County, nearest town Cedar Mills; DNR lake number (DOW) 43011500.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | - Limited parking. |
DNR fish survey, 2018
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 111.78 | 1,006 | 0.11 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 6.78 | 61 | 3.15 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 6.33 | 57 | 0.15 |
| Common carp | Standard gill nets | 4.22 | 38 | 3.54 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 1.44 | 13 | 0.12 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 6 | 0.10 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 6 | 1.23 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.86 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 43.50 | 116 | 0.86 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 43.00 | 215 | 0.04 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 42.60 | 213 | 0.15 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 12.40 | 62 | 0.53 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 8.80 | 44 | 0.05 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 7.60 | 38 | 0.19 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 3.60 | 18 | 0.08 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard trap nets | 3.40 | 17 | 4.06 |
| Golden shiner | Standard trap nets | 2.00 | 10 | 0.06 |
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 standard survey was conducted at Cedar, beginning on 6/04/18, to monitor the lake's fish population. Cedar was a class 41 lake and net catches were compared to similar lakes around the state. The 2009 lake management plan (LMP) listed Black Crappie and Northern Pike as primary management species, while Bluegill and Largemouth Bass were ranked as secondary species at Cedar. In 2018, a total of 16 species, plus Hybrid Sunfish, were sampled in the gill nets (GN) and trap nets (TN). Spring night-time electrofishing (EF) was conducted to sample Cedar's Largemouth Bass population. The dissolved oxygen concentration was 7.7 mg/l just off the bottom (8.0 feet), indicating that the lake was well mixed during netting week. Water clarity was fair with a secchi disk reading of 4.5 feet, due to an algae bloom. Cedar, being a shallow lake, has experienced partial winterkills in the past. Significant winterkills were documented in 2001 and 2014. Due to the lake's infrequent winterkills, in recent years anyways, quality fisheries have developed. Northern Pike and Black Crappie particularly, and Largemouth Bass occasionally. Fish populations, on Cedar, would be expected to fluctuate widely based on the frequency and severity of winterkill. Eurasian watermilfoil (EWM), an aquatic invasive species (AIS), was discovered in 2012. Curlyleaf pondweed, a non-native invasive aquatic plant, has been in Cedar for much longer that EWM, and was typically abundant in May and June, forming surface mats over large sections of the shallow lake. Low development and multiple islands make for an enjoyable fishing experience at Cedar, but anglers need to be aware of the lake's numerous shallow rock hazards. Gill nets failed to sample any Walleye (0.0/net). The catch rate was below the normal range for this type of lake. Historic catch rates from 1975 to 2018 (n=8) were all low, ranging from 0.0 to 0.1/net with an average of 0.0. In 2018, TN's sampled one Walleye that was 26.0 inches in length. The Walleye was aged using scales and was estimated to be age-12. The fish was most likely an immigrant from Belle Lake. Past Cedar Lake GN catch rates indicated that few Walleye move out of Belle and into Cedar. Gill nets sampled moderate numbers of Northern Pike (61) for a catch rate of 6.8/net, which was within the normal range for this type of lake and was tied for the second highest catch ever recorded at Cedar. The 2009 LMP's long range goal (> 1.2 and Trap nets sampled moderate numbers (38) of Black Crappie in 2018 for a catch rate of 7.6/net, which was within the normal range for this type…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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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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