Little Mud Lake

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

Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 47009600

DNR records show 16 stocking entries at Little Mud Lake since 2016, most recently rainbow trout yearlings in 2025 (4,500 fish).

• Little Mud Lake has 16 DNR stocking records across 10 years (2016-2025): rainbow trout (11), bluegill sunfish (2), brown trout (1), largemouth bass (1), and 1 more species.
• The most-stocked species by count is rainbow trout: 45,075 fish on record.
• Maximum depth 42 ft; surface area 37 acres, 25 littoral acres, 1.2 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
• Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 3.9 ft.
• Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, rainbow trout.
• 1 public access on the DNR list.
• Most recent DNR fish survey: January 18, 2025 (targeted survey).
• Meeker County, nearest town Watkins; DNR lake number (DOW) 47009600.

Depth map

Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/26/1972 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.

Stocking history

Public accesses

DNR fish survey, 2025

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.

Little Mud is a small-sized lake (37 acres) located south of the City of Watkins in Meeker County. A moderate-sized private access with gravel parking and a single cement boat ramp is available on the west shore. There is no charge for parking or using the boat ramp. Little Mud has approximately one mile of shoreline and a maximum depth of forty-two feet. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has divided Minnesota's lakes into 44 different classes based on physical and chemical characteristics. Little Mud is a class 30 lake and other similar waterbodies in the Hutchinson Fisheries Management Area are Little Swan and Dunns Lakes in Meeker County. Little Mud's 2025 lake management plan listed Rainbow Trout and Brown Trout as primary management species, while Largemouth Bass and Bluegill were secondary species. Rainbow Trout will be stocked annually (1,000 yearlings every spring and 2,000 yearlings every fall). Brown Trout are stocked annually (300 adults every fall). The lake is managed as a put-and-take trout fishery. Netting was completed in 2025 to monitor fish population recovery following the 2023 partial winterkill and to assess the lake's habitat suitability for stream trout management. Fish populations can fluctuate greatly depending on the frequency and severity of winterkill at Little Mud Lake. Bluegill and Black Crappie were stocked in 2023, while Bluegill and Largemouth Bass were stocked in 2024. If you are fishing for trout at Little Mud Lake, a Trout and Salmon stamp is required in addition to your regular fishing license. Little Mud Lake is best known for its Rainbow Trout fishing, while Brown Trout were added to the mix during the winter of 2024 to 2025. Only one Rainbow Trout (12-inches long) was gill netted in 2025, but this species does not always sample well in the nets. Catching trout can be as easy as drifting around the center of the lake with half of a nightcrawler on a hook - six feet below the bobber and a sinker. The Bluegill that were stocked in 2024 spawned successfully, and a good-sized year class of fast-growing fish was sampled in 2025. Trap netted Bluegill were still small, but the age-1 fish averaged an impressive 5-inches in length. Largemouth Bass typically do not sample well in nets, but several 11-inch long fish were captured. Moderate numbers of Black Crappie were collected, but most were small (5 inches long). The longest crappie sampled was almost 9 inches. Additional fishes sampled in the 2025 nets included Black Bullhead, Black Crappie, Golden Shiner, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish and…

Minnesota DNR survey narrative, January 18, 2025.

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