Lac qui Parle Lake
Lac Qui Parle County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 37004600
DNR records show 11 stocking entries at Lac qui Parle Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (1,500,000 fish).
- Lac qui Parle Lake has 11 DNR stocking records across 7 years (2016-2025): walleye (11).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 9,044,457 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 15 ft; surface area 5,741 acres, 5,741 littoral acres, 53.5 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 1.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, crappie, freshwater drum, golden redhorse, hybrid crappie, and 19 more.
- 10 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Lac Qui Parle County, nearest town Milan; DNR lake number (DOW) 37004600.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 1,500,000 | 12.6 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 1,503,464 | 12.2 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 1,499,527 | 13.6 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 1,500,000 | 11.9 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 1,500,000 | 12.5 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 1,500,000 | 12.8 |
| 2016 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 23,432 | 2,073.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | yearlings | 7,255 | 586.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | adults | 5,569 | 961.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | yearlings | 5,194 | 630.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | adults | 16 | 8.0 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups.
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 | Minnesota DNR | Voldens Pit. 4.25 miles SE of Milan off County Road 33. |
| earthen ramp | Minnesota DNR | Watson Sag (Brendemoen Bridge). 3 miles SE of Milan off County Road 32. |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | Engebretsons. 2 miles S of Milan off County Road 31. |
| gravel ramp | Minnesota DNR | Milan Bridge South. 3.5 miles west of Milan off MN Hwy 40. Access to fishing pier. |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | Milan Bridge North. 3.5 miles west of Milan off MN Hwy 40. |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | Twin Bridges. 5.5 miles east of Louisburg off MN Hwy 119. |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | Hanthos. 3 miles S and 6.5 miles E of Louisburg off County Road 68. |
| gravel ramp | Minnesota DNR | Madison Landing. 3 miles W and 0.5 mile S of Milan off County Road 33 (west side of lake). |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | Boyds Landing. 3 miles W and 2 miles S of Milan off County Road 33. |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | State Park Access. 3 miles N of Lac qui Parle Village off County Road 33. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freshwater drum | Fall electrofishing | 323.00 | 323 | 0.00 |
| Walleye | Fall electrofishing | 242.00 | 242 | 0.01 |
| OTS | Fall electrofishing | 125.00 | 125 | 0.00 |
| White bass | Fall electrofishing | 110.00 | 110 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | Fall electrofishing | 96.00 | 96 | 0.00 |
| SUN | Fall electrofishing | 93.00 | 93 | 0.00 |
| OTM | Fall electrofishing | 87.00 | 87 | 0.00 |
| CRP | Fall electrofishing | 25.00 | 25 | 0.00 |
| Freshwater drum | Standard gill nets | 16.80 | 168 | 0.52 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 7.60 | 76 | 1.93 |
| Channel catfish | Standard gill nets | 6.50 | 65 | 2.10 |
| Shorthead redhorse | Standard gill nets | 5.00 | 50 | 1.52 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 3.80 | 38 | 1.89 |
| QBS | Standard gill nets | 2.90 | 29 | 2.19 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 2.90 | 29 | 0.57 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 2.80 | 28 | 4.78 |
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.
Lac qui Parle (LQP) Lake is located three miles southwest of Milan in western Minnesota. It is a 5,589 acre impoundment of the Minnesota River with a maximum depth of 15 feet. LQP Lake's water level is controlled by Churchill Dam, which is located one-half mile downstream on the Minnesota River. Watersheds that drain into LQP Lake include the Upper Minnesota, Yellow Bank, Lac qui Parle, Pomme de Terre and a portion of the Chippewa. LQP Lake is managed for flood water storage by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and some years water levels will fluctuate by more than five feet. LQP Lake can become extremely turbid during strong winds due to sediment suspension. The lake can also experience dense blooms of blue-green algae. These factors all negatively impact the food web and desirable fish species. Even though challenging habitat conditions have been common at LQP Lake, several game fish species have maintained good populations. This 2025 Targeted Survey was conducted to collect routine fish population data using gill nets and fall night electrofishing. These data can be compared to historical Standard and Targeted Survey data from LQP Lake. LQP Lake has often provided good walleye fishing. The walleye population has resulted from stocking, natural reproduction, and migration from upstream water bodies. A low to moderate walleye population was present in 2025. Walleyes were present from a wide range of sizes, with those from 14-16 inches most abundant. Relatively high numbers of naturally produced young-of-year walleyes were present and those fish should contribute to the fishery within a couple years if adequate forage is present to provide good survival and growth. A possession limit of 4 walleyes per person is in effect for LQP lake. In the last several surveys, crappie numbers have been lower than their peak abundance in the 2010's, and anglers have reported slower fishing during the last two years. Many crappies were 10-12 inches in this survey, with some over 13 inches. A possession limit of 5 crappies per person is in effect for LQP Lake. Moderate numbers of northern pike were present with some over 38 inches. Anglers and spearers have reported good pike fishing during recent years. Pike have exhibited relatively consistent natural reproduction regardless of spring water levels. They probably find suitable spawning habitat in wetlands adjacent to the lake created by beaver dams or along the edges of emergent vegetation in bay areas. LQP Lake is in the southern northern pike management zone and the possession limit is two pike with a…
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. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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