Eden Lake
Stearns County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 73015000
DNR records show 16 stocking entries at Eden Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2025 (2,610 fish).
- Eden Lake has 16 DNR stocking records across 9 years (2016-2025): walleye (16).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 401,819 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 77 ft, mean depth 19 ft; surface area 278 acres, 124 littoral acres, 2.5 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 6.3 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, and 4 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Stearns County, nearest town Eden Valley; DNR lake number (DOW) 73015000.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/16/1969 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fingerlings | 2,610 | 90.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 3,980 | 199.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | yearlings | 4 | 3.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | yearlings | 46 | 38.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | yearlings | 364 | 91.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fingerlings | 1,520 | 38.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fingerlings | 110 | 22.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 2,400 | 120.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 4,000 | 200.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 124,000 | 1.3 |
| 2020 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 4,000 | 200.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 124,000 | 1.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 5,000 | 200.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 3,125 | 125.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 124,000 | 1.2 |
| 2016 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 2,660 | 133.0 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups.
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 |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 50.33 | 302 | 0.09 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 18.50 | 111 | 0.10 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 11.50 | 69 | 3.04 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 8.50 | 51 | 2.01 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 3.17 | 19 | 0.10 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 2.33 | 14 | 0.05 |
| Golden shiner | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 3 | 0.09 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 3 | 3.02 |
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.
Eden Lake is located in south-central Stearns County, north of Eden Valley. It is the second in a series of lakes that outlet north to join the Sauk River Chain of Lakes. A large, mostly agricultural watershed (over 24,000 acres) drains into Eden Lake. The resulting nutrient load has resulted in impaired water quality, nuisance algal blooms, and occasional winterkills. Eden Lake is managed primarily for Northern Pike and Walleye. The catch of Northern Pike in 2024 was similar to 2018 and exceeded the range of expected values for lakes similar to Eden Lake. Northern Pike ranged in length from 17.9 to 29.9 inches with an average length and weight of 23.5 inches and 3.0 pounds. Twenty-nine percent of Northern Pike sampled were longer than 26 inches. The Walleye population has been supported by fry stocking since 2001, as well as annual fingerling stocking by the Eden Valley Sportsmen's Club (2013 -present). The Walleye catch in 2024 increased from 2018 and was over two times the management goal. Walleye ranged in length from 9.5 to 26.1 inches with an average length and weight of 17.4 inches and 2.0 pounds. Seventy-six percent of the walleye sampled in the 2024 survey came from the 2019, 2020, or 2021 year classes. Eden Lake has historically supported a high population of Yellow Perch. Yellow Perch catch rates in 2024 were lower than previous surveys and the lowest on record but remain within the range of expected values for lakes similar to Eden. Yellow Perch ranged in length from 4.9 to 8.4 inches with an average length of 6.0 inches. Yellow Perch do not appear to reach a size favored by most anglers, but they provide an abundant source of forage for large predators. The Black Crappie catch increased significantly from 2018 and was above the range of what is expected for lakes like Eden. Black Crappie sampled ranged in length from 3.9 to 11.3 inches with an average length of 5.2 inches. Most Black Crappie captured were under 5.0 inches in length, indicating a strong year class that will be seen in harvestable sizes in coming years. Other fish species sampled included: Black Bullhead, Bluegill, Common Carp, Golden Shiner, Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, and Pumpkinseed. No Channel Catfish were sampled in 2024.
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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