Cross Lake (Polk County)
Polk County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 60002700
DNR records show 7 stocking entries at Cross Lake (Polk County) since 2017, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (303,000 fish).
- Cross Lake (Polk County) has 7 DNR stocking records across 7 years (2017-2025): walleye (7).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 2,206,819 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 19 ft, mean depth 12 ft; surface area 320 acres, 303 littoral acres, 6.5 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 6.8 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, northern pike, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Polk County, nearest town Fosston; DNR lake number (DOW) 60002700.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 303,000 | 3.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 313,069 | 2.9 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 303,000 | 2.5 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 303,000 | 2.6 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 303,000 | 2.5 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 303,000 | 2.6 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 378,750 | 3.2 |
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 | county | Access in Tillberg Park on northwest shore. - There is parking available for approximately six rigs or more along the access road. There is also an adjacent fishing pier. |
DNR fish survey, 2022
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 20.25 | 81 | 0.14 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 7.00 | 28 | 4.21 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 2.50 | 10 | 0.10 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 1.75 | 7 | 1.96 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.25 | 5 | 0.14 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 0.25 | 1 | 0.05 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 0.25 | 1 | 1.94 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 0.25 | 1 | 0.27 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 19.89 | 179 | 0.05 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 3.89 | 35 | 0.11 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 1.56 | 14 | 0.73 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.89 | 8 | 3.93 |
| Common carp | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 5.84 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 0.36 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 1.62 |
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.
Cross Lake is a lightly developed, 320-acre, class-35, lake located in southeastern Polk County with a history of winterkill. The most recent severe winterkill occurred in 1991, when virtually all fish species except bullhead were extirpated from the lake. However, a moderate winterkill also occurred in the winter of 2017-2018. A standard fisheries survey was completed in June 2022 to evaluate the status of the fish populations in Cross Lake. Survey results show that Cross Lake is still in recovery following the most recent partial winterkill. Anglers will likely encounter Northern Pike, Black Crappie, and bullheads, with a smaller chance of catching Walleye and Bluegill. The size of Northern Pike was respectable, with fish averaging almost 27 inches long and individuals over 40 inches also observed. Black Crappie had an average size of almost 11 inches long. Bluegill were primarily five inches long, but some fish up to nine inches were also measured. Walleye abundance was low, with fish averaging 17 inches long. Bullheads were the most abundant fish caught in nets, with their average size being around seven inches. Yellow Perch were present in low numbers with an average size of six inches. Common Carp and White Sucker were also collected in numbers similar to past surveys.
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.
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