Miltona Lake
Douglas County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 21008300
DNR records show 36 stocking entries at Miltona Lake since 2016, most recently muskellunge fingerlings in 2025 (1,381 fish).
- Miltona Lake has 36 DNR stocking records across 10 years (2016-2025): walleye (29), muskellunge (7).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 18,706,277 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 105 ft; surface area 5,731 acres, 2,759 littoral acres, 17.5 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 10.7 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, and 7 more.
- 3 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Douglas County, nearest town Leaf Valley; DNR lake number (DOW) 21008300.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/18/1961 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 1,381 | 460.8 |
| 2025 | Muskellunge | yearlings | 4 | 2.4 |
| 2025 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 23,750 | 1,000.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | fingerlings | 820 | 48.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | adults | 1,012 | 92.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | yearlings | 35 | 35.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 2,759,000 | 25.3 |
| 2025 | Walleye | fingerlings | 1,534 | 231.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | adults | 50 | 99.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 30,000 | 1,000.0 |
| 2023 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 1,400 | 267.8 |
| 2023 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 45,000 | 1,500.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 2,759,000 | 23.1 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 1,530,000 | 14.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fingerlings | 30,844 | 1,381.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 30,000 | 1,000.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 300,000 | 2.5 |
| 2021 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 854 | 203.7 |
| 2021 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 546 | 153.8 |
| 2021 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 30,000 | 1,000.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 2,759,000 | 24.5 |
| 2020 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 39,000 | 1,300.0 |
| 2019 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 1,406 | 140.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 2,659,000 | 21.9 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fingerlings | 9,285 | 313.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 100,000 | 1.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 30,000 | 1,000.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fingerlings | 3,582 | 136.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 35,000 | 1,000.0 |
| 2017 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 1,403 | 413.5 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 1,184,000 | 11.1 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 1,575,000 | 14.7 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fingerlings | 9,806 | 443.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | adults | 927 | 1,008.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | yearlings | 632 | 462.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 2,760,000 | 26.8 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups.
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 | |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | |
| concrete ramp | TOW |
DNR fish survey, 2023
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 22.87 | 343 | 0.17 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 10.07 | 151 | 0.17 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 6.07 | 91 | 0.18 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 1.07 | 16 | 0.36 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.73 | 11 | 0.13 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 10 | 4.33 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.60 | 9 | 0.46 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.53 | 8 | 0.57 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 17.17 | 206 | 0.12 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 12.42 | 149 | 0.17 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 12.00 | 144 | 0.12 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 10.75 | 129 | 1.36 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard gill nets | 7.75 | 93 | 0.14 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 5.58 | 67 | 0.40 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 4.17 | 50 | 0.65 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 2.92 | 35 | 0.84 |
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.
Lake Miltona, located north of Alexandria between the towns of Miltona and Leaf Valley, is the largest (5,724 acres) recreational fishing lake in Douglas County. Maximum depth exceeds 100 feet. The lake supports a productive fishery since nearly half of the basin is less than 15 feet in depth and a well oxygenated thermal refuge area exists for coolwater fishes during summer months. Lake Miltona lies within the Long Prairie River watershed and is connected to Lake Ida to the south and Lake Irene to the east via non-navigable channels. Water quality and clarity are considered good. Water clarity has increased since establishment of zebra mussels and often exceeds 15 feet during summer months. Residential development surrounds much of the lake. This lake is a very popular destination for both anglers and recreational boaters. Recreational pressure can be high, especially on weekend days during summer months. Three public accesses are present. Parking is limited on the west access. Primary fish management efforts are focused on Walleye and Muskellunge with bass and sunfish being species of secondary management importance. A standard fisheries survey was completed in 2023 to assess the fish community and gain updated estimates of abundance and size structure of gamefish populations. Lake Miltona is well known as a quality Walleye fishery. Walleye abundance (10.8 fish/gill net) has increased since the record-low level that was documented in 2019. Current abundance is now considered high when compared to similar lakes across Minnesota. Higher abundance can be attributed to increased survival and recruitment of young fish in recent years. Almost 65% of the gill net sample was comprised of Walleyes age 3 or younger. Mean size of Walleye captured in 2023 was 15.2 inches and 1.4 pounds. Lake Miltona supports a popular Muskellunge fishery. It is one of three lakes within the Glenwood Management Area where Muskellunge fingerlings are stocked. The "trophy" potential of this lake is relatively high. Previous angler reports and survey findings indicate that fish exceeding 50 inches are not uncommon. The current statewide regulation is a 54-inch minimum length limit. All muskies less than 54 inches in total length (tip of closed mouth to tip of closed tail fin) must be released immediately. Lake Miltona supports both Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass populations. Largemouth Bass are more abundant but average size of Smallmouth Bass tends to be larger. The largest Smallmouth Bass sampled in 2023 was just shy of 19 inches. Black Crappie and Bluegill populations tend to…
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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