Crystal Lake (Hennepin County)
Hennepin County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 27003400
DNR records show 3 stocking entries at Crystal Lake (Hennepin County) since 2017, most recently black crappie adults in 2024 (60 fish).
- Crystal Lake (Hennepin County) has 3 DNR stocking records across 2 years (2017-2024): black crappie (1), bluegill sunfish (1), tiger muskellunge (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is bluegill sunfish: 132 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 39 ft, mean depth 10 ft; surface area 79 acres, 53 littoral acres, 1.6 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 2.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed, tiger muskellunge, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Hennepin County, nearest town Robbinsdale; DNR lake number (DOW) 27003400.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Black Crappie | adults | 60 | 33.1 |
| 2024 | Bluegill Sunfish | adults | 132 | 66.0 |
| 2017 | Tiger Muskellunge | yearlings | 106 | 61.6 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| gravel ramp | city | The public access is located on the south end of Crystal Lake in Terrace Lakeview Park. |
DNR fish survey, 2022
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 20.50 | 82 | 0.15 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 20.00 | 80 | 0.07 |
| Common carp | Standard gill nets | 6.75 | 27 | 2.52 |
| Golden shiner | Standard gill nets | 3.25 | 13 | 0.09 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 1.50 | 6 | 1.04 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 4 | 0.05 |
| TME | Standard gill nets | 0.75 | 3 | 13.38 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 2 | 0.07 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 15.88 | 127 | 0.09 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 6.00 | 48 | 0.12 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 3.62 | 29 | 0.07 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.25 | 10 | 0.06 |
| Golden shiner | Standard trap nets | 0.75 | 6 | 0.06 |
| Common carp | Standard trap nets | 0.38 | 3 | 2.44 |
| Green sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.25 | 2 | 0.07 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.12 | 1 | 0.42 |
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.
Crystal Lake is a 78-acre lake located in Robbinsdale. City parks are situated to the north and south of the lake, and both provide shore fishing access. The park to the north includes a fishing pier (Installed in 2019), and the park to the south includes a boat access with trailer parking. Crystal Lake is primarily a panfish lake and has been stocked with Tiger Muskellunge fingerlings every 2 to 4 years since 1994, most recently in 2017. The city of Robbinsdale maintains winter aerators to prevent winterkill, and has been working to reduce storm water input to Crystal Lake to improve the water quality. A flocculation plant (built in 2014) is in operation on the southern end of the lake to remove phosphorus. Crystal Lake is part of Fishing in the Neighborhood (FiN). For more information about FiN, please visit: www.dnr.state.mn.us/fishing/fin. Bluegill and Black Crappie are the primary management species in Crystal Lake. Bluegill abundance was average when compared to similar lakes, but these fish were small at approximately 5 inches in length. No Bluegill greater than 7 inches were captured, and only 6% of fish sampled in 2022 were between 6-7 inches. Black Crappie were relatively abundant compared to similar lakes but were small as 71% of the fish sampled were between 5-6.5 inches in length. Only 1 individual was >9 inches. Yellow Perch were sampled in above average abundance, but the fish were small, averaging 0.08 pounds and just over 5.5 inches. Three Tiger Muskellunge were captured in gillnets, ranging from 34 to 40 inches and weighing 13.4 pounds on average. Northern Pike and Largemouth Bass, species noted from the earlier surveys, were not captured in 2022. Common Carp and Golden Shiner were abundant and captured in above average values. Other species sampled included Black Bullhead, Green Sunfish, hybrid sunfish, Yellow Bullhead, White Sucker, and Bowfin.
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. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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