Dunns Lake
Meeker County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 47008200
DNR records show 6 stocking entries at Dunns Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2024 (43,126 fish).
- Dunns Lake has 6 DNR stocking records across 4 years (2016-2024): walleye (6).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 89,323 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 20 ft, mean depth 12 ft; surface area 152 acres, 85 littoral acres, 2.3 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 1.7 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, hybrid crappie, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, white crappie, white sucker, yellow bullhead, and 1 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Meeker County, nearest town Darwin; DNR lake number (DOW) 47008200.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/31/1970 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 43,126 | 0.4 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 43,593 | 0.4 |
| 2018 | Walleye | yearlings | 680 | 170.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | yearlings | 297 | 99.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | yearlings | 243 | 54.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | yearlings | 1,384 | 173.0 |
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 | Minnesota DNR | North end of the lake off county road 14. |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 274.33 | 1,646 | 0.01 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 32.17 | 193 | 0.26 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 3.67 | 22 | 0.21 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 3.50 | 21 | 2.92 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 3.33 | 20 | 2.80 |
| White crappie | Standard gill nets | 2.17 | 13 | 0.29 |
| Common carp | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 6 | 3.53 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 6 | 1.25 |
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.
Dunns is a small-sized lake (151 acres) located north of the city of Darwin in Meeker County. A small state-owned access with gravel parking and a single cement boat ramp is available on the north shore. Dunns has approximately two miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of twenty feet. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has divided Minnesota's lakes into 44 different classes based on physical and chemical characteristics. Dunns is a class 30 lake and other similar waterbodies in the Hutchinson Fisheries Management Area are Little Swan and Little Mud Lakes in Meeker County. Dunns 2019 lake management plan listed Walleye as primary management species, while Black Crappie and White Crappie were secondary species. Netting was completed in 2024 to monitor the fish population. Dunn's lake is best known for its crappie. While the size structure may not always be great, there are plenty of fish to be caught. Black Crappie make up the majority of the crappie population. The 2024 survey had plenty of Black Crappie in the catch and the size structure in the spring trap nets was very good with fish up to 14" sampled. Dunn's Lake also has White Crappie. This population is extremely variable; based on catches in gill nets and spring trap nets, white crappie appear to be in a down cycle currently. One benefit of having both Black and White Crappie is that Hybrid Crappie can be found in Dunn's lake and these fish can grow into very large proportions. Dunn's lake can have some very good bass fishing. While no electrofishing took place in 2024, there have been reports of good days on Dunn's from anglers. Fish up to 18 inches were sampled in gill nets in 2024. More extensive bass survey work will take place in the future to track the bass population. Walleye have struggled in Dunn's Lake. The 2018 survey was the first survey where more than a token amount of Walleye were sampled. The 2024 survey had a better catch rate than historically seen. The switch to fry stocking in 2022 may support a more consistent Walleye population. Most Walleye sampled in 2024 were from the first Walleye fry stocking in 2022. Bluegill are the last species that anglers may want to look for in Dunn's Lake. Good numbers were caught in spring trap nets. The size could be better, but anglers should be able to find enough for a meal. Additional fishes sampled in the 2024 gill nets included Black Bullhead, Common Carp, Northern Pike, White Sucker, Yellow Bullhead, and Yellow Perch. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Overharvest…
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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