Hendricks Lake
Lincoln County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 41011000
DNR records show 10 stocking entries at Hendricks Lake since 2017, most recently black crappie fingerlings in 2024 (7,500 fish).
- Hendricks Lake has 10 DNR stocking records across 6 years (2017-2024): walleye (7), black crappie (1), yellow perch (1), spo (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 2,254,884 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 9 ft; surface area 1,522 acres, 656 littoral acres, 12.6 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 3.6 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, crappie, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, smallmouth bass, suckers, and 6 more.
- 4 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Lincoln County, nearest town Hendricks; DNR lake number (DOW) 41011000.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 8/19/1957 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Black Crappie1 | fingerlings | 7,500 | 250.0 |
| 2024 | Yellow Perch1 | fingerlings | 7,500 | 250.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 501,308 | 4.6 |
| 2021 | SPO | adults | 4,340 | 70.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 500,776 | 3.9 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 250,000 | 2.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | adults | 1,515 | 942.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | yearlings | 1,285 | 649.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye7 | fry | 500,000 | 4.2 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 500,000 | 4.3 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups. 7 fish cooperatively purchased, raised, and/or stocked by State of South Dakota.
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 | city | Two concrete ramps located in Hendricks; MN city limits on NE corner of Lake. |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | Concrete ramp located in the middle of lake on the south shoreline off Lincoln County Hwy 14 in Minnesota. |
| concrete ramp | BST | SDGFP access in Lake Hendricks State Recreation Area on SW side of lake off 201 Street in Brookings County; SD. |
| concrete ramp | BST | SDGFP concrete ramp access on NW side of lake off 199 Street in Brookings County; SD. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black crappie | 1/4-in trap nets | 282.00 | 2,820 | 0.00 |
| Black bullhead | 1/4-in trap nets | 160.50 | 1,605 | 0.00 |
| Spottail shiner | 1/4-in trap nets | 124.70 | 1,247 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | 1/4-in trap nets | 41.10 | 411 | 0.00 |
| Green sunfish | 1/4-in trap nets | 28.40 | 284 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | 1/4-in trap nets | 18.30 | 183 | 0.00 |
| Fathead minnow | 1/4-in trap nets | 9.00 | 90 | 0.00 |
| White bass | 1/4-in trap nets | 5.10 | 51 | 0.00 |
| White bass | Fall electrofishing | 182.00 | 91 | 0.00 |
| Common carp | Fall electrofishing | 152.00 | 76 | 0.00 |
| Walleye | Fall electrofishing | 112.00 | 56 | 0.01 |
| Yellow perch | Fall electrofishing | 90.00 | 45 | 0.00 |
| CRP | Fall electrofishing | 52.00 | 26 | 0.00 |
| OTM | Fall electrofishing | 50.00 | 25 | 0.00 |
| OTS | Fall electrofishing | 8.00 | 4 | 0.00 |
| BLH | Fall electrofishing | 6.00 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 106.00 | 318 | 0.39 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 37.67 | 113 | 0.33 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 15.00 | 45 | 1.87 |
| White bass | Standard gill nets | 9.00 | 27 | 1.54 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 2.67 | 8 | 1.64 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 2.33 | 7 | 3.17 |
| Common carp | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 1 | 1.49 |
| Bigmouth buffalo | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 1 | 4.93 |
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.
Hendricks Lake is on the Minnesota - South Dakota border and is adjacent to the southwestern Minnesota town of Hendricks. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks comanage the fishery and border waters fishing regulations apply. An aeration system is often operated during winter near the City of Hendricks by the Lake Hendricks Improvement Association. The system creates open water that is marked with warning signs. Hendricks Lake is 1,557 acres and has a maximum depth of 9 feet. Gamefish in the lake include walleyes, yellow perch, white bass, northern pike and black crappies. This 2025 Targeted Survey was conducted to collect routine fish population data. These data can be compared to historical Standard and Targeted Survey data from Hendricks Lake. Hendricks Lake has often provided good walleye fishing. Walleye natural reproduction has been inconsistent and maintenance of a fishable population has required supplemental stockings. Newly hatched fry have been routinely stocked and older life stages have been stocked when necessary. Walleye fry from the Lower Mississippi Strain (Lake Sarah) have been stocked during recent years in an effort to develop a self-sustaining population. This strain has been found to do well in southern Minnesota lakes and recent genetic analysis has already found its prevalence to be high in Hendricks Lake. Three good natural year classes have been produced from 2022-2025, and there's high likelihood these are the result of spawning by the Lower Mississippi Strain of walleyes. Adult walleyes were abundant in 2025 and the net catch was above average for Hendricks Lake. Size was fairly evenly distributed between 13 and 22 inches with an average size of 17 inches. Yellow perch and black crappie numbers can fluctuate widely in prairie lakes like Hendricks. An abundant population of perch was present in 2025 with the majority from 9-10.5 inches. Black crappie abundance has been low for several years. Northern pike were moderately abundant with fish up to 30 inches present. Natural reproduction has maintained the pike population during recent years. Northern pike spearing is legal on Lake Hendricks. The season runs from November 15 through the last Sunday in February. The daily and possession limit is 3 and there are no size restrictions. Moderate numbers of adult white bass were present, and most were 15-16 inches. White bass frequently have good reproduction and often produce high numbers of young-of-year. White bass have a firm, white flesh and they are good to eat. Their…
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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