Malmedal Lake
Pope County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 61016200
DNR records show 7 stocking entries at Malmedal Lake since 2022, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (99,500 fish).
- Malmedal Lake has 7 DNR stocking records across 4 years (2022-2025): walleye (4), yellow perch (3).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 596,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 10 ft, mean depth 6 ft; surface area 199 acres, 199 littoral acres, 3.0 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 2.2 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, northern pike, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Pope County, nearest town Lowry; DNR lake number (DOW) 61016200.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey (get source); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 99,500 | 0.8 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 98,000 | 0.8 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 199,000 | 1.6 |
| 2023 | Yellow Perch | adults | 50 | 5.0 |
| 2023 | Yellow Perch | yearlings | 1,920 | 30.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 199,500 | 1.8 |
| 2022 | Yellow Perch | yearlings | 1,020 | 51.0 |
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.
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 194.00 | 194 | 0.16 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 23.00 | 23 | 0.26 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 17.00 | 17 | 1.75 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 9.00 | 9 | 1.01 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 2 | 0.25 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 2 | 0.18 |
| Common carp | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 1 | 0.23 |
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.
Malmedal Lake is a shallow, turbid basin with an extensive history of low dissolved oxygen levels during winter months. Frequent partial winterkill events have occurred; however, they have been poorly documented. Poor water clarity limits aquatic vegetation abundance. A permanent fish barrier was installed on Trapper's Run Creek (downstream of Malmedal Lake) in 1993 to prevent recolonization of undesirable fish species in Strandness and Malmedal Lakes following severe winterkill. However, sustained presence of carp and bullheads in the fish community indicates total winterkill of the system has not occurred, or the barrier is not effective. A targeted survey consisting of a single gill net was conducted on August 28, 2025, to provide insight into the fish community of Lake Malmedal following the 2023 winterkill. Walleye relative abundance (9.0/gill net) was higher than the 2022 targeted survey (3.5/gillnet), but much lower than the 2010 survey (50.5/gill net). Limited extent of the winterkill or quick recolonization may have increased competition with Northern Pike and Black Bullhead (194.0/gill net). However, the 2023 fry stocking after the winterkill was successful, accounting for all the Walleye sampled. Growth was fast, with fish averaging 14.6 inches at age 2. Yellow Perch abundance (23.0/gill net) was the same as the 2010 survey, and higher than 2022 (9.5/gill net). In recent years, attempts have been made to increase the perch population in Lake Malmedal through stocking. However, the perch stocking in 2022 was likely eliminated because of the winterkill in 2023, with no fish older than age 2 being sampled. Natural reproduction, either by the 2023 stocking or migrants, do appear to have created the 2023 and 2024 year classes that are currently present in the lake. Mean length was 8.2 inches, but growth is extremely fast as evident by a 10.6-inch individual. Northern Pike were abundant (17.0/gill net), and the size structure was poor (averaged 19.5 inches). The largest pike sampled was 25.6 inches. These fish are assumed to be competing with Walleye stocking efforts and directly predating upon perch stockings. However, with several ditch and stream connections, including Trapper's Run Creek, pike will always persist in Lake Malmedal at moderate to high densities. Other species sampled include Black Bullhead, Black Crappie, Bluegill and Common Carp. Lake Malmedal is currently not an infested water. Aquatic invasive species are easily moved from infested to non-infested waters and can negatively affect lakes and fish populations. For more…
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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