Dean Lake
Wright County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 86004100
DNR records show 13 stocking entries at Dean Lake since 2017, most recently walleye yearlings in 2025 (207 fish).
- Dean Lake has 13 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2017-2025): walleye (11), bluegill sunfish (1), largemouth bass (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 180,406 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 20 ft, mean depth 10 ft; surface area 176 acres, 125 littoral acres, 2.2 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 2.1 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Wright County, nearest town Buffalo; DNR lake number (DOW) 86004100.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 6/11/1985 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | yearlings | 207 | 164.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 63,407 | 0.6 |
| 2025 | Walleye | fingerlings | 2,884 | 136.5 |
| 2022 | Bluegill Sunfish | adults | 141 | 29.9 |
| 2022 | Largemouth Bass | adults | 34 | 37.8 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 100,000 | 0.8 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fingerlings | 5,200 | 250.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fingerlings | 1,425 | 250.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | adults | 20 | 22.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fingerlings | 5,226 | 190.5 |
| 2019 | Walleye | yearlings | 198 | 72.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fingerlings | 1,714 | 171.8 |
| 2017 | Walleye | adults | 125 | 180.2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| asphalt ramp | Minnesota DNR | There is a boat ramp with limited parking on the east side; off County Road 14. |
DNR fish survey, 2019
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 60.42 | 70 | 2.14 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 13.33 | 80 | 1.35 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 8.17 | 49 | 0.16 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 5.83 | 35 | 0.28 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 5.33 | 32 | 4.33 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 2.83 | 17 | 3.01 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.17 | 7 | 1.48 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.83 | 5 | 1.15 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 2 | 2.72 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 13.00 | 117 | 0.16 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 1.33 | 12 | 5.27 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.78 | 7 | 0.54 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 6 | 0.11 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 0.07 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 1.82 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 4.31 |
| Common carp | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 7.85 |
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.
Dean Lake is located 3.5 miles southeast of the city of Buffalo in southeastern Wright County. A public access with limited parking is located on the east side of the lake, adjacent to County Road 14. The lake is 173 acres with an average depth of 10 feet and a maximum depth of 20 feet. The lake has poor water clarity and experiences heavy summer algal blooms. Dean Lake has experienced winterkills in the past, the most recent occurring in 1997. Aeration equipment has been available since 2002 and has been used fairly regularly since 2009 to prevent winterkill. Walleye numbers have improved since the last survey in 2011 and were good compared to other lakes similar to Dean Lake. Fingerlings have been stocked every other year since 2011. Walleye averaged 20 inches and 3 pounds and the largest fish caught was 25 inches. The Northern Pike catch rate increased from the previous survey and was in the expected values for lakes similar to Dean Lake. Anglers should have opportunities to catch quality-sized Northern Pike as fish in the survey averaged 28 inches. The largest fish caught in the survey was 37 inches. Sixty percent of Northern Pike were longer than 26 inches and 30% were longer than 30 inches. The catch rate of Largemouth Bass was above average for the Sauk Rapids Management Area. Anglers should have opportunities to catch quality-sized Largemouth Bass as fish in the survey averaged 15 inches and the largest caught was 21 inches. Black Crappie abundance was in the range of expected values for lakes similar to Dean Lake. The average length was nearly 8 inches and the largest crappie captured was 11 inches. Bluegill abundance was in the range of expected values for lakes similar to Dean Lake. The average length of Bluegill were 6 inches. Sportfish have benefitted from the successful winter aeration in past years. Land and lakeshore owners within the watershed can help improve water quality by using best management practices to reduce run-off and nutrient input to the 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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