French Lake (Rice County)

Rice County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data

Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 66003800

DNR records show 18 stocking entries at French Lake (Rice County) since 2016, most recently muskellunge yearlings in 2025 (41 fish).

• French Lake (Rice County) has 18 DNR stocking records across 10 years (2016-2025): muskellunge (12), walleye (6).
• The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 1,391,311 fish on record.
• Maximum depth 56 ft; surface area 876 acres, 398 littoral acres, 4.8 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
• Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 2.0 ft.
• Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), common carp, freshwater drum, hybrid crappie, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, and 4 more.
• 1 public access on the DNR list.
• Most recent DNR fish survey: April 15, 2024 (targeted survey).
• Rice County, nearest town Faribault; DNR lake number (DOW) 66003800.

Depth map

Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 5/11/1970 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.

Stocking history

⁹ fish cooperatively purchased, raised, and/or stocked by DNR and other agencies or sporting groups.

Public accesses

DNR fish survey, 2024

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.

French Lake is an 816-acre (398 littoral acres), hypereutrophic lake situated in an agricultural watershed with small woodlots northwest of the city of Faribault in Rice County. French Lake is classified as a class 24 lake with a Shoreline Development Index of 1.17. Lakeshore development is moderate to intense. French Lake is the only Muskellunge managed water in the nine county Waterville Fisheries Management Area and has been stocked with Muskellunge fingerlings since 1974. Historically, French Lake was stocked with approximately 600 Muskellunge fingerlings of various strains, each fall. Since 2014, French Lake has been stocked with 398 Leech Lake strain Muskellunge fingerlings annually. A decreased stocking rate serves several purposes including: decrease the cost of Muskellunge stocking in French Lake, provide more Muskellunge to be stocked in other Muskellunge managed waters throughout the state, and decrease the potential for growth reductions due to high abundance. The stocking rate of 1.0 Muskellunge per littoral acre annually will be maintained at least until a more in-depth population assessment can be completed. The second phase of a two-year population assessment was conducted in May 2023 and a third year was added in 2024. A total of 58 adult Muskellunge were sampled in 35 nets for a catch-per-unit-effort of 1.7 Muskellunge per net night. Eighty-two percent (n = 47) of Muskellunge examined (n = 57) were male and 18% (n = 10) were female. Muskellunge CPUE of 1.7 per trap night exceeded the management goal of at least 1 Muskellunge per trap night. The average length of Muskellunge sampled in 2023 was 39.3 in and ranged from 29.3 to 49.5 in. The management goal of fish greater than 50 in present was not met. Average length of Muskellunge appears to have leveled off and has hovered around 40 inches in each survey since 2002. Maximum length appears to have reached its full potential in 2004 and has been near 50 inches in subsequent surveys. Trophy length fish have always been rare in French Lake and no fish over 50 inches were sampled in 2023. The average length of Muskellunge sampled in 2024 was 36.8 in and ranged from 11.6 in. to 48.8 in. The management goal of fish greater than 50 in present was not met. Average length of Muskellunge appears to have reached an asymptote in 2002 and has hovered around 40 inches in each survey since 2002 (Figure 2). Maximum length appears to have reached its full potential in 2004 and has been near 50 inches in subsequent surveys. Trophy length fish have always been rare in French Lake. A population estimate…

Minnesota DNR survey narrative, April 15, 2024.

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