Goodners Lake
Stearns County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 73007600
Goodners Lake has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- Goodners Lake shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 24 ft, mean depth 7 ft; surface area 191 acres, 97 littoral acres, 3.6 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 2.8 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Stearns County, nearest town Cold Spring; DNR lake number (DOW) 73007600.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 8/10/1978 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | There is a state owned access on the southeast side of the lake; off 180th St. |
DNR fish survey, 2019
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 33.71 | 59 | 2.04 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 31.17 | 187 | 0.16 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 12.33 | 74 | 1.75 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 7.83 | 47 | 0.19 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 4.17 | 25 | 1.01 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 1.17 | 7 | 0.06 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.17 | 7 | 1.61 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 6 | 1.19 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard gill nets | 0.83 | 5 | 6.05 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 17.56 | 158 | 0.16 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 2.44 | 22 | 0.87 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 1.33 | 12 | 0.30 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 1.18 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 5.61 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 0.16 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 0.16 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 2.22 |
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.
Goodners Lake is a popular panfish lake located five (5) miles northwest of Kimball in southeastern Stearns County. The lake is 150 acres and has a maximum depth of 24 feet. The watershed is primarily agricultural and is reflected in the lower water clarity. Proper land use practices are encouraged within the watershed and by lakeshore owners to improve the water quality and fish habitat in Goodners Lake. Protecting the fish habitat is important to help sustain the quality and balance of the fish community. A public access is located on the southeast side of the lake. A standard survey was completed in 2019 to update fisheries data last survey collected in 2015. Largemouth Bass were sampled via daytime electrofishing on May 28, 2019. The catch rate in 2019 was the highest on record for the lake, but below the average for the Sauk Rapids Management Area. Fifty-nine fish were sampled and ranged in length from 11 to 19 inches with an average length of 15 inches. The 2019 Northern Pike catch rate was similar to 2015 and near the long-term average for the lake. The catch rate was above the range of expected values for lakes with similar characteristics and was dominated by smaller fish. Pike sampled ranged in length from 13 to 35 inches with an average length and weight of 21 inches and two (2) pounds. Only eight (8) percent of the pike sampled were greater than 26 inches. Anglers are encouraged to harvest the surplus of pike under 22 inches and release the larger pike. This would help maintain a healthy predator/prey balance within the fish community. Black Crappie have provided a popular spring and winter fishery. Goodners Lake experienced a Columnaris outbreak in crappies in 2018. The population is stable, but will need a few years to rebound back to previous levels anglers have grown accustomed to. The catch rate in 2019 was lower than 2015, but within the expected values for lakes with similar characteristics. Crappies ranged in length from five (5) to 10 inches and averaged seven (7) inches although few crappies over eight (8) inches were sampled. The Bluegill catch rate in 2019 was lower than 2015, but within the range of expected values for lakes with similar characteristics. Anglers looking for Bluegill have a chance to find some "keepers" as Bluegills ranged in length from three (3) to nine (9) inches and averaged six (6) inches. Walleye were last stocked in Goodners Lake in 1987 and have not been present in the survey since 1994. A walleye population was difficult to establish due to an abundance of predator species (Northern Pike) and lack of…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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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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