Ice Cracking Lake

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

Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 03015600

DNR records show 1 stocking entry at Ice Cracking Lake since 2025, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2025 (7,410 fish).

• Ice Cracking Lake has 1 DNR stocking record across 1 year (2025-2025): walleye (1).
• The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 7,410 fish on record.
• Maximum depth 73 ft; surface area 345 acres, 80 littoral acres, 3.8 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
• Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, and 3 more.
• Most recent DNR fish survey: August 9, 2004 (standard survey).
• Becker County, nearest town Ponsford; DNR lake number (DOW) 03015600.

Depth map

Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 8/5/1987 (topo map/drg); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.

Stocking history

⁶ fish cooperatively purchased, raised, and/or stocked by White Earth Nation.

DNR fish survey, 2004

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.

Ice Cracking Lake is a 331 acre lake located in northeastern Becker County along the east edge of the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge. There is no public access but there is a resort/campground with a privately owned access on the east end of the lake. The lake lies within the boundaries of the White Earth Indian Reservation and the band's biology department is located near the south shore.There is a good mix of fish species present, ranging from coldwater fish like tullibee (cisco) to warmwater fish like brown and yellow bullhead. Popular gamefish species include northern pike, largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, yellow perch, and walleye.Walleye spawning habitat is minimal in this lake and maintaining a fishery requires stocking. The White Earth Biology Department stocks walleye fingerlings regularly. Walleye sampled in 2004 averaged 17.9 inches and 2.3 pounds and gill net catch rates were within the normal range for similar lakes and near the upper end of the historic range for this lake.Northern pike have the potential to grow large in Ice Cracking. The presence of tullibee indicates that there is good dissolved oxygen in the cooler depths of the lake during the heat of summer. Cool, well-oxygenated water is generally regarded as a requirement for pike to grow large. They also have to be allowed to grow big before they are harvested. Pike sampled in test nets averaged 20.7 inches in length and 2.0 pounds. Lengths ranged from 16.2 to 30.9 inches.Crappies also have the potential to grow relatively large in this lake. They were not particularly abundant, but black crappies averaged 11.0 inches and 0.8 pounds each during the 2004 lake survey.Bluegills are present in normal numbers, but the average size of sunfish has steadily declined since the initial lake survey in 1947 when they averaged 8.9 inches. In 2004, bluegills in Ice Cracking Lake averaged 5.0 inches.Anglers are encouraged to release medium and large fish and harvest smaller fish for eating. This not only helps to ensure that spawning age fish are present to sustain the fishery, but also better balances populations and provides more opportunities to catch big fish.

Minnesota DNR survey narrative, August 9, 2004.

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