Midge Lake
Hubbard County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 29006600
DNR records show 2 stocking entries at Midge Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2019 (510,000 fish).
- Midge Lake has 2 DNR stocking records across 2 years (2016-2019): walleye (2).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 1,013,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 24 ft; surface area 546 acres, 496 littoral acres, 3.6 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 15.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Hubbard County, nearest town Bemidji; DNR lake number (DOW) 29006600.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 510,000 | 4.1 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 503,000 | 4.3 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| earthen ramp | Minnesota DNR | - Approximately 10 unit parking |
DNR fish survey, 2021
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brassy minnow | Backpack electrofishing | 53.58 | 64 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | Backpack electrofishing | 19.26 | 23 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | Backpack electrofishing | 15.07 | 18 | 0.00 |
| Rock bass | Backpack electrofishing | 10.05 | 12 | 0.00 |
| Central mudminnow | Backpack electrofishing | 1.67 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Yellow bullhead | Backpack electrofishing | 1.67 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Pumpkinseed | Backpack electrofishing | 0.84 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Iowa darter | Backpack electrofishing | 0.84 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | 50-ft beach seine | 27.00 | 351 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | 50-ft beach seine | 2.85 | 37 | 0.00 |
| Hybrid sunfish | 50-ft beach seine | 0.77 | 10 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | 50-ft beach seine | 0.54 | 7 | 0.00 |
| Iowa darter | 50-ft beach seine | 0.38 | 5 | 0.00 |
| Brassy minnow | 50-ft beach seine | 0.23 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Rock bass | 50-ft beach seine | 0.23 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Pumpkinseed | 50-ft beach seine | 0.23 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | 15-ft beach seine | 5.00 | 5 | 0.00 |
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.
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Midge Lake was conducted June 30 - July 1, 2021 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at 14 sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample 13 stations, a 15-foot seine was used at one station. Nearshore sampling captured 12 species of fish including three species that are intolerant of disturbance (Banded Killifish, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass) and none that are tolerant of disturbance. The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from a June 21st, 2021 standard survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (Black Bullhead, Common Carp, Fathead Minnow). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Data from this survey indicates Midge Lake is in good health as indicated by an FIBI score above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Mississippi River - Headwaters Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.
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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