Mayhew Lake (Benton County)
Benton County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 05000700
DNR records show 12 stocking entries at Mayhew Lake (Benton County) since 2017, most recently rainbow trout yearlings in 2025 (1,000 fish).
- Mayhew Lake (Benton County) has 12 DNR stocking records across 8 years (2017-2025): rainbow trout (6), walleye (6).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 9,280 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 20 ft, mean depth 12 ft; surface area 128 acres, 66 littoral acres, 3.0 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 4.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, and 1 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Benton County, nearest town Mayhew; DNR lake number (DOW) 05000700.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 8/9/1980 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,000 | 555.6 |
| 2025 | Walleye | yearlings | 349 | 207.0 |
| 2024 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,000 | 588.2 |
| 2023 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,000 | 555.6 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fingerlings | 3,074 | 139.0 |
| 2022 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,000 | 555.6 |
| 2021 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,000 | 625.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fingerlings | 875 | 132.0 |
| 2020 | Rainbow Trout | yearlings | 1,000 | 666.7 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fingerlings | 3,960 | 132.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fingerlings | 864 | 48.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | adults | 158 | 198.0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| gravel ramp | county | - COUNTY OWNED ACCESS ON SOUTHWEST CORNER OF LAKE. |
DNR fish survey, 2022
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 132.83 | 797 | 0.08 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 18.33 | 110 | 0.13 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 17.50 | 105 | 0.13 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 4.33 | 26 | 3.73 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 2.17 | 13 | 0.98 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.33 | 8 | 0.67 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 1.17 | 7 | 1.14 |
| Common carp | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 2 | 6.10 |
| Black bullhead | Special trap nets | 15.58 | 187 | 0.11 |
| Black crappie | Special trap nets | 12.92 | 155 | 0.33 |
| White sucker | Special trap nets | 7.58 | 91 | 0.85 |
| Yellow bullhead | Special trap nets | 3.17 | 38 | 0.50 |
| Bluegill | Special trap nets | 2.08 | 25 | 0.27 |
| Common carp | Special trap nets | 0.83 | 10 | 4.16 |
| Northern pike | Special trap nets | 0.75 | 9 | 5.06 |
| Yellow perch | Special trap nets | 0.50 | 6 | 0.16 |
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.
Mayhew Lake is a small, 128-acre lake located about 12 miles northeast of St. Cloud. It's a popular winter fishery for crappies and Rainbow Trout which are stocked as catchable size fish on an annual basis. Mayhew's close proximity to St. Cloud makes it a good choice for quick day trips in any season. Walleyes and crappies are the species of most management importance at this time. This survey used gill nets to sample Walleye, Northern Pike and Yellow Perch and trap nets to sample Black Crappies and Bluegills. Water quality is poor in Mayhew Lake and there have been times in the past where the lake has winterkilled. Black Crappie are a species that can do very well in lakes that winterkill on occasion. Trap nets in this survey caught a total of 155 crappies, average length was 8.4 inches and maximum length was 10.1 inches. Crappies generally run little on the small side in Mayhew Lake but they can often provide a hot bite during the winter. Bluegills were also caught in trap nets and individual sizes usually run from 6-8 inches. Thirteen Walleyes were captured, the majority measured between 12 and 15 inches. Fingerlings are stocked every other year. Walleyes grow fairly fast in Mayhew Lake, 3-year old fish have ranged from 14-19 inches. Northern Pike were common in gill nets, over half those caught exceeded 24 inches. The largest pike caught was 36.6 inches. Yellow Perch are an important prey species and provide food for pike and Walleye. The number of perch increased in our sampling during this survey compared to the last survey which is good to see. Individual perch measured ranged from 5.8-8.5 inches. As mentioned, catchable-size Rainbow Trout are stocked every fall when available and anglers are encouraged to harvest them. Check the Minnesota Fishing Regulations booklet for seasons and bag limits. Often times anglers will report catching trout while fishing crappies on Mayhew. Anglers who choose to keep trout must have a valid trout stamp in their possession. Other species caught during this survey were Black Bullheads. As mentioned, water quality is poor in Mayhew Lake and species like Black Bullheads can flourish in such lakes. Since the last survey in 2016, Black Bullheads have more than tripled in number. The vast majority measured less than 7 inches and while they do not provide any angling value, they can provide an ample prey source for Walleyes and Northern Pike. White Sucker and Yellow Bullhead were two other species commonly caught.
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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