Middle Crooked Lake
Hubbard County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 29010102
DNR records show 2 stocking entries at Middle Crooked Lake since 2023, most recently bluegill sunfish adults in 2023 (58 fish).
- Middle Crooked Lake has 2 DNR stocking records across 1 year (2023-2023): bluegill sunfish (1), largemouth bass (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is bluegill sunfish: 58 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 33 ft; surface area 289 acres, 260 littoral acres, 8.3 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 12.6 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Hubbard County, nearest town Nevis; DNR lake number (DOW) 29010102.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 6/18/1962 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Bluegill Sunfish | adults | 58 | 12.6 |
| 2023 | Largemouth Bass | adults | 48 | 48.0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | - DNR public access with concrete ramp is located on the northeast shore of the lake. |
DNR fish survey, 2022
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 27.33 | 164 | 0.37 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 6.50 | 39 | 0.22 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 5.17 | 31 | 2.01 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 18 | 0.16 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 12 | 0.15 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 1.50 | 9 | 0.18 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.50 | 9 | 1.48 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 0.17 | 1 | 2.84 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 5.33 | 48 | 0.14 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 5.22 | 47 | 0.45 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.22 | 11 | 0.14 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.89 | 8 | 1.91 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 6 | 0.24 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 1.68 |
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.
Middle Crooked is located five miles north of Nevis in central Hubbard County. Middle Crooked has a surface area of 289 acres and a maximum depth of 33 feet. With the exception of the middle bay, much of the lake is shallow, with 89% of the lake area less than 15 feet deep. There is a state-owned public access located on the northeast shore of the lake off County Road 2. Due to its shallow depth, Middle Crooked has experienced periodic partial winterkill events. Dissolved oxygen levels can become low during long winters with heavy snow fall. Gamefish such as Largemouth Bass and Bluegill are less tolerant of low oxygen levels than are Northern Pike and bullhead species. Abundance of certain gamefish species has fluctuated with these partial winterkill events. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) had classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. Middle Crooked is in lake class 35. Class 35 lakes generally have a very irregular shaped shoreline and very high littoral area (water depth less than 15 feet). Middle Crooked provides angling opportunities for Northern Pike, panfish, and Largemouth Bass. Present and past surveys have shown a moderate Northern Pike population composed of small to medium sized fish. Sampled Northern Pike had an average length and weight of 20.9 inches and 2.0 pounds with fish measured up to 31.9 inches. Good numbers of Black Crappie and Bluegill were sampled, however, fish ran small in size. Sampled Black Crappie were less than 10 inches and few Bluegills were over 7 inches sampled. Age analysis showed very slow growth rates for Black Crappie and Bluegill. The Largemouth Bass population in Middle Crooked fluctuates from very low to moderate numbers depending on the frequency of winterkill events. Largemouth Bass up to 17.5 inches were sampled. Yellow Perch were sampled in low numbers and generally not a preferred size for angling. Yellow Perch up to 8.5 inches were sampled. Other species sampled included high numbers of Yellow Bullhead, and low numbers of Pumpkinseed and White Sucker. Currently no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Middle Crooked. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft ad drain all water from their boat before leaving the access.
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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