Crooked Lake (Lake County)
Lake County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 38002400
DNR records show 4 stocking entries at Crooked Lake (Lake County) since 2018, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2023 (3,455 fish).
- Crooked Lake (Lake County) has 4 DNR stocking records across 4 years (2018-2023): walleye (4).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 19,474 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 18 ft; surface area 272 acres, 258 littoral acres, 6.0 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 9.9 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Lake County, nearest town Finland; DNR lake number (DOW) 38002400.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 3,455 | 193.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 6,562 | 193.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 4,632 | 193.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 4,825 | 193.0 |
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 | USF | On northwest side of main lake basin, off of USFS Road #358. Small parking area for 4 vehicles. No dock at access. (1993 description) - On northwest side of main lake basin, off of USFS Road #358. Small parking area for 4 vehicles. No dock at access. |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 13.67 | 82 | 1.64 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 12.50 | 75 | 0.15 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 9.50 | 57 | 2.56 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 7.00 | 42 | 3.14 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.17 | 7 | 1.37 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard trap nets | 4.22 | 38 | 0.32 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 1.11 | 10 | 2.63 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 0.06 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 4.54 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 2.64 |
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 is located about twenty miles northeast of Finland and within the Superior National Forest. The public access is off Forest Service 358 (Hoist Lake Road) and consists of a concrete log ramp with parking for a few vehicle and trailer rigs. The Walleye population is actively managed with the current plan to stock fingerlings in two consecutive years followed by two non-stocked years. A standard fisheries survey was completed in August 2024 to monitor the fish community and evaluate stocking efforts. The Walleye catch rate of 13.67 per gill net was above the normal range for similar lakes and significantly higher than the last survey, but consistent with historic surveys of Crooked Lake that have regularly had high catches. Walleye ranged from 7 to 24 inches long with a high proportion of keeper sized fish. Age analysis determined 66% of the catch was from stocked year classes, although each of the non-stocked year classes from the past decade were also present. Historic survey data has shown that natural reproduction occurs annually, and likely occurs in stocked years, making it difficult to evaluate the contributions of stocking to the Walleye population. The Smallmouth Bass catch rate of 1.17 per gill net was within the normal range for similar lakes but lower than the catch from any of the previous six surveys of Crooked Lake. The trap net catch of 4.22 per net was higher than normal for this lake, and for similar lakes in the area, but the size structure of the catch was small. The combined catch from gill nets and trap nets averaged just 8.1 inches long and included few bass longer than 12 inches. Analysis of scale samples determined successful natural reproduction has occurred in each of the previous four years indicating adequate spawning stock is still present. Survey results suggest opportunities for quality sized Smallmouth Bass may be limited currently, but the population should continue to be maintained by natural reproduction. The Northern Pike catch rate of 7.0 per gill net was the highest of any survey of the lake to date and was slightly above the normal range for similar lakes. The population had a good size distribution with an average size of about 24 inches long and over two and a half pounds with pike as large as 37 inches long sampled. No Muskellunge were sampled for the second consecutive survey. Historic survey data has documented limited natural reproduction likely due to lack of adequate spawning habitat.
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. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
Hear when the states we cover post stockings
One email a week in season: which waters in the states we cover were stocked, straight from the state agencies' own postings. No spam, no fishing-gear ads in the mail.
Free · double opt-in · unsubscribe anytime · we store only your email.