Francis Lake (Meeker County)
Meeker County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 47000200
DNR records show 1 stocking entry at Francis Lake (Meeker County) since 2016, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2016 (10,857 fish).
- Francis Lake (Meeker County) has 1 DNR stocking record across 1 year (2016-2016): walleye (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 10,857 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 17 ft, mean depth 8 ft; surface area 1,053 acres, 871 littoral acres, 7.0 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 7.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, and 2 more.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Meeker County, nearest town Kingston; DNR lake number (DOW) 47000200.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 6/10/1976 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Walleye | fingerlings | 10,857 | 819.0 |
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 | TOW | Southwest corner of lake, with very limited parking. |
| concrete ramp | TOW |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 21.33 | 256 | 0.67 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 13.00 | 156 | 1.05 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 7.33 | 88 | 1.38 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 7.08 | 85 | 0.34 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 6.67 | 80 | 0.22 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 6.42 | 77 | 0.17 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard gill nets | 5.00 | 60 | 0.21 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.08 | 13 | 1.32 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 14.92 | 179 | 0.12 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 5.83 | 70 | 0.62 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 3.33 | 40 | 0.20 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 3.25 | 39 | 0.27 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 2.08 | 25 | 0.96 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 2.08 | 25 | 0.38 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 12 | 1.39 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard trap nets | 0.58 | 7 | 3.91 |
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.
Francis is a moderate-sized lake (1,053 acres) located northeast of the Town of Kingston in Meeker County. A township-owned access with paved parking and a single cement boat ramp is present on the north shore. Francis has approximately seven miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of seventeen feet. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has divided Minnesota's lakes into 44 different classes based on physical and chemical characteristics. Francis is a class 24 lake and other similar waterbodies in the Hutchinson Fisheries Management Area are Erie and Manuella Lakes in Meeker County. Francis's 2021 lake management plan listed Largemouth Bass as primary management species, while Black Crappie were secondary species. Netting was completed in 2025 to monitor the fish population. High numbers of Largemouth Bass were gill netted in 2025, and size was mediocre. Largemouth Bass averaged 13 inches in length. The maximum length of bass sampled was an impressive 18 inches. Moderate numbers of Black Crappie were netted in 2025, and average size was good (8.5 inches in length). The longest Black Crappie gill netted was a respectable12 inches. Low numbers of Walleye were netted, but average length was large (22 inches). The longest Walleye sampled was just under 24 inches. Walleye were last stocked in 2016. Walleye stocking was discontinued due to poor survival of fingerlings. Moderate numbers of Bluegill were trap netted and keeper-sized fish were present. Approximately 34 percent of the trap net catch was 6 inches or longer. Bluegill maximum length was just over 8 inches. High numbers of Northern Pike were gill netted this year with fish averaging an unimpressive 16 inches in length. The longest pike netted was 28 inches. Francis Lake continued to be plagued with an over-abundance of small pike. Northern Pike regulations were revised at a statewide level beginning in 2018 to better accommodate regional differences in pike habitats, population abundances and size structures. Three management zones were established for Northern Pike, with their own bag limit and length limit restrictions. In the north-central zone, where Francis Lake is found, anglers can keep ten Northern Pike, but only two can be over 26 inches in length. All pike between 22 and 26 inches must be released immediately. This zone regulation is meant to increase Northern Pike size structure (more bigger fish) and to decrease the number of small fish - an attempt to restore balance to the population. The regulation will be evaluated on a state-wide basis after 2028. Additional fishes…
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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