Little Wilson Lake
Lake County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 38005100
DNR records show 5 stocking entries at Little Wilson Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (42,500 fish).
- Little Wilson Lake has 5 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2016-2025): walleye (5).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 217,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 22 ft; surface area 55 acres, 42 littoral acres, 1.4 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 9.4 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: northern pike, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Lake County, nearest town Schroeder; DNR lake number (DOW) 38005100.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 42,500 | 0.5 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 42,500 | 0.4 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 42,500 | 0.4 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 47,000 | 0.4 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 42,500 | 0.4 |
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| gravel ramp | USF | Small boat launch on northeast corner of the lake. Road turns off of the Wilson Lake access road. |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 7.67 | 23 | 1.56 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 6.33 | 19 | 2.12 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 5.33 | 16 | 1.74 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 1.67 | 5 | 0.09 |
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 Wilson Lake is a 55-acre lake located 11 miles northwest of Schroeder and within the Superior National Forest. There is a public access with an earthen boat ramp suitable for smaller watercraft and limited space for parking off Forest Service 355. The Walleye population is actively managed with the current plan to stock fry in two consecutive years followed by two non-stocked years. A standard fisheries survey was completed in July 2024 to monitor the fish community and evaluate stocking efforts. The Walleye catch rate of 7.67 per gill net was the same as the last survey of Little Wilson Lake and within the normal range for similar lakes in the area. Size structure was good and ranged from 11 to 23 inches long with the average Walleye measuring 16 inches long and weighing just over one and a half pounds. Age analysis determined that naturally reproduced year classes accounted for about half the catch. The Northern Pike catch rate of 5.33 per gill net was higher than any of the ten previous surveys of Little Wilson Lake, but within the normal range for similar lakes in the area. Size structure was modest and ranged from 17 to 25 inches long with the average pike measuring 20 inches long and weighing about 1.7 pounds. White Sucker and Yellow Perch catches were similar to previous surveys of the lake. While these are important forage species they are not likely targeted by anglers, although some harvest of suckers may occur in the spring near the lake outlet.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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