Little Rock Lake (Benton County)
Benton County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 05001300
Little Rock Lake (Benton County) has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- Little Rock Lake (Benton County) shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 17 ft, mean depth 8 ft; surface area 1,311 acres, 1,240 littoral acres, 10.6 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 2.3 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, and 9 more.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Benton County, nearest town Rice; DNR lake number (DOW) 05001300.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 9/8/1980 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| gravel ramp | county | - COUNTY OWNED ACCESS ON NE SIDE OF LAKE ; NE1/4 |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | - STATE OWNED ACCESS BY HWY. 10 BRIDGE. SEC 15 |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | Fall electrofishing | 73.00 | 73 | 0.24 |
| Channel catfish | Standard gill nets | 6.73 | 74 | 4.68 |
| Bigmouth buffalo | Standard gill nets | 5.09 | 56 | 0.81 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 4.55 | 50 | 2.82 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 2.91 | 32 | 1.65 |
| Common carp | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 22 | 1.75 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 1.55 | 17 | 0.11 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 1.45 | 16 | 2.18 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 0.27 | 3 | 0.48 |
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 Rock Lake (DOW# 05-0013-00; Lake Class 41) is a 1,450-acre reservoir located near Rice, Minnesota. A Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) owned concrete boat ramp is located rear State Highway 10 near the south end of the lake. Little Rock Lake has 10.55 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 17 feet. The lake is primarily managed for Walleye and Black Crappie and secondarily for Northern Pike. A standard survey using 11 gill nets was completed in 2025. Fall electrofishing for young of the year Walleye (EW) was also conducted. The 2025 gillnet assessment is the 6th completed since 1996. EW has been conducted annually since 2017. Seasonal trap netting and targeted electrofishing are also employed to monitor Walleye, Northern Pike, Black Crappie, and Bluegill. A total of 16 Walleye were captured in gillnets for a catch rate (CPE) of 1.45/gillnet. The CPE of Walleye in Little Rock fluctuates widely in surveys, likely due to a combination of factors including open connection to the Mississippi River. Since 1996, it has ranged from 0.64/gillnet (2014) to 17.09/gillnet (2020). Gillnets provide information on the length distribution, age, growth, and abundance of Walleye. Catch rates can vary widely between surveys which is why it is important to monitor long-term trends. This was illustrated in 2025, as despite a relatively low gillnet catch rate, anecdotal reports following the survey suggested that the Walleye fishery is still of high quality. Fifty-six percent of fish exceeded 14 inches in length. This has historically ranged from 53% (1996) to 100% (2009). Walleye in Little Rock grow quickly, typically attaining 15 inches by age 3. EW was conducted on September 10, 2025, to assess the success of natural Walleye reproduction. The assessment consisted of 4 stations and a total of 1 hour of run-time. A total of 60 young of the year Walleye and 13 yearling or adult Walleye were captured. This catch rate of 60/hour was above the historical median of 38/hour (12 surveys). EW catch rate in Little Rock has historically been a good predictor of year class catch rate in gillnets, so the 2025-year class should provide a significant year class for anglers. Gillnets captured a total of 50 Northern Pike for a CPE of 4.55/gillnet (goal 1.2 -7.8/gillnet). This is the highest CPE since 2002 (6.45/gillnet). Lengths ranged from 17.32 to 30.51 inches and averaged 23.8 inches. Of the 47 fish measured, 43% exceeded 24 inches (goal > 30%) and 2 fish exceeded 30 inches. Fish over 30 inches are sampled regularly in Little Rock. Channel Catfish were first…
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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