Crooked Lake (Cass County)
Cass County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 11049400
DNR records show 7 stocking entries at Crooked Lake (Cass County) since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2024 (135,000 fish).
- Crooked Lake (Cass County) has 7 DNR stocking records across 7 years (2016-2024): walleye (7).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 947,735 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 74 ft; surface area 582 acres, 237 littoral acres, 3.7 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 9.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, yellow bullhead, and 1 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Cass County, nearest town Cass Lake; DNR lake number (DOW) 11049400.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 9/14/1956 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye3 | fry | 135,000 | 1.1 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 118,755 | 1.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye3 | fry | 131,500 | 1.1 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 119,680 | 1.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye3 | fry | 135,000 | 1.1 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 118,800 | 1.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye3 | fry | 189,000 | 1.6 |
3 fish cooperatively purchased, raised, and/or stocked by Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| C | - | Channel from Welsh Lake on the N side of Crooked Lake - DNR-owned, concrete public access ramp on NE shore of Welsh Lk provides access by water to Crooked Lk channel. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 7.33 | 66 | 1.39 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 6.67 | 60 | 0.66 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 6.11 | 55 | 2.02 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 2.56 | 23 | 0.28 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 1.56 | 14 | 0.36 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 9 | 0.56 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.89 | 8 | 1.20 |
| Tullibee (cisco) | Standard gill nets | 0.78 | 7 | 2.80 |
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.
Crooked Lake (DOW# 11-0494; Lake Class 27) is a 565-acre lake, with 237 littoral acres, 3.7 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 74 feet located near Wilkinson, MN. There is a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) owned public access on the east shore of Welsh Lake and Crooked Lake is accessible through a navigable channel between the two lakes. Crooked Lake is within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation (LLIR) and is co-managed by the MNDNR and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe - Division of Resource Management (LLBO DRM). Crooked lake is primarily managed for Northern Pike and Walleye and secondarily for Tullibee (Cisco), Bluegill, Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass, and Yellow Perch. MNDNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Crooked Lake is in Lake Class 27; lakes in this class are large, deep, and regularly shaped. Other area lakes in this class include Ada, Pleasant, and Thirteen. A reduced daily limit of five Sunfish was implemented in the spring of 2022 to preserve the quality size structure in this lake. The purpose of this survey was to assess the status of gamefish populations. Only standard gill nets were used in this targeted survey. Northern Pike were moderately abundant, meeting the management goal in 2025. Length based goals were not met for Northern Pike. Lengths ranged from 17 to 28 inches with an average length and weight of 19 inches and 1.4 pounds. Walleye abundance was slightly lower than the previous survey in 2020 but met the management goals. Sampled Walleye ranged in length from 14 to 26 inches with an average length and weight of 18 inches and 2 pounds. Tullibee (Cisco) were sampled in low numbers and below the management goal. Tullibee from 17 to 19 inches present in the sample. Largemouth Bass were sampled in low numbers with fish up to 17 inches present. Yellow Perch abundance was below management goals. A targeted spring trap net survey for Bluegill was conducted in 2025, see that survey for more details on the Bluegill population. Other fish species sampled include Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, and Yellow Bullhead. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. To date no invasive species have been identified in Crooked Lake. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake…
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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