Laura Lake (Redwood County)
Redwood County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 64015000
DNR records show 3 stocking entries at Laura Lake (Redwood County) since 2023, most recently black crappie adults in 2024 (252 fish).
- Laura Lake (Redwood County) has 3 DNR stocking records across 2 years (2023-2024): bluegill sunfish (2), black crappie (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is bluegill sunfish: 734 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 21 ft; surface area 22 acres, 16 littoral acres, 1.6 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 4.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, pumpkinseed, white crappie, white sucker, yellow bullhead, and 1 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Redwood County, nearest town Walnut Grove; DNR lake number (DOW) 64015000.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 11/14/1988 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Black Crappie | adults | 252 | 117.0 |
| 2024 | Bluegill Sunfish | adults | 104 | 26.0 |
| 2023 | Bluegill Sunfish | adults | 630 | 70.0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| CA | county | SHORELINE ACCESS PROVIDED THROUGH REDWOOD COUNTY PARK. BOAT ACCESS BY PORTAGE ONLY. |
DNR fish survey, 2012
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 42.00 | 42 | 0.08 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 31.00 | 31 | 0.15 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 14.00 | 14 | 0.81 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 7.00 | 7 | 0.45 |
| Orangespotted sunfish | Standard gill nets | 5.00 | 5 | 0.06 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 3 | 4.09 |
| White crappie | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 1 | 0.06 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 1 | 0.80 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 33.50 | 134 | 0.06 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 8.75 | 35 | 0.07 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 3.50 | 14 | 0.15 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 3.00 | 12 | 0.15 |
| White crappie | Standard trap nets | 2.25 | 9 | 0.10 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 2.00 | 8 | 0.14 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 1.75 | 7 | 1.05 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 1.50 | 6 | 0.42 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 24.76 | 26 | 1.76 |
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.
INTRODUCTION Laura Lake is a 22-acre reservoir 1 mile southwest of Walnut Grove in Redwood County. The reservoir has a maximum depth of 21 feet, a shoreline length of 1.8 miles, and is a DNR class 33 lake based on physical and chemical characteristics. Laura Lake has shoreline access through a Redwood County Park. Boat access is by portage only with non-gas powered boats only. The lake is managed for largemouth bass, black crappie, and yellow perch. LARGEMOUTH BASS The largemouth bass were introduced shortly after construction of the reservoir with the first and only stocking in 1979. Since 1979 the population has maintained itself naturally. Largemouth bass are best assessed with the use of spring electrofishing to capture the fish as they prepare to spawn or have just finished spawning. In June 26 largemouth bass were caught in just over an hour of electrofishing. The length of largemouth bass captured ranged from 4 to 19 inches with an average size of 13 inches. The wide range of fish sampled coupled with the presence of 7 age groups of fish indicates a population that is successfully sustaining itself. Additionally, the health of the largemouth bass population is above average compared to other populations in other lakes. The Largemouth bass population in Laura Lake currently exceeds the management goals set by the DNR (20 fish per hour of electrofishing). Local bass anglers particularly shore, canoe, and kayak anglers should consider Laura Lake as a fishing destination. Some large fish can be caught! BLACK CRAPPIE The black crappie population in Laura Lake has been on the rise since the early 1990's. The current catch rates are the highest on record with 42 fish in the gill net and an average of 33.5 fish in each trap net. The crappie ranged in length from 4 inches to 8 inches with an average length of 6 inches in the gill net and trap nets. The high catch rate in 2012 combined with healthy and plump fish gives evidence that the population will sustain itself at or near these levels for several years. Larger fish will become more common over the next 2 to 3 years as the youngest and most abundant crappie grow. YELLOW PERCH The yellow perch catch rate in 2012 was 31 fish per gill net and 3 fish per trap. The historical catch rate indicates that yellow perch abundance was highest in the early 1990s. This was then followed by catch rates just above or equal to the upper normal range of 19 fish per gill net and 4 fish per trap net, except for the 2006 trap net catch rate of 1.4 which was just average. The current yellow perch population abundance…
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.
Hear when the states we cover post stockings
One email a week in season: which waters in the states we cover were stocked, straight from the state agencies' own postings. No spam, no fishing-gear ads in the mail.
Free · double opt-in · unsubscribe anytime · we store only your email.