Mud Hen Lake
St. Louis County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 69049400
DNR records show 6 stocking entries at Mud Hen Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2024 (165,000 fish).
- Mud Hen Lake has 6 DNR stocking records across 6 years (2016-2024): walleye (6).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 990,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 9 ft; surface area 161 acres, 161 littoral acres, 2.3 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 5.1 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- St. Louis County, nearest town Makinen; DNR lake number (DOW) 69049400.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 165,000 | 1.4 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 165,000 | 1.6 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 165,000 | 1.7 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 165,000 | 1.8 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 165,000 | 1.9 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 165,000 | 1.6 |
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 |
DNR fish survey, 2023
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLH | Standard gill nets | 115.80 | 579 | 0.00 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 24.60 | 123 | 0.14 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 22.60 | 113 | 0.14 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 20.00 | 100 | 0.14 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 8.60 | 43 | 1.31 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 7.60 | 38 | 2.07 |
| Golden shiner | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 5 | 0.09 |
| BLH | Standard trap nets | 17.00 | 153 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 5.33 | 48 | 0.14 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 2.11 | 19 | 1.43 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 9 | 0.00 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 9 | 1.82 |
| Golden shiner | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 0.09 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 0.16 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.98 |
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.
Mud Hen is a 166-acre lake with 166 (100%) acres of littoral area and maximum depth of 9 feet. Mud Hen is located two miles east of Makinen, MN off St. Louis County Highway #16. Mud Hen Lake has a gravel, state-administered, back-in public access. Currently, Mud Hen is stocked with walleye fry every even year and in any odd year following a winterkill. Mud Hen was last assessed in 2013 and initially surveyed in 1992. Mud Hen was surveyed during the summer of 2023 to update information about fish populations and to evaluate the success of the walleye fry stocking program. Walleye abundance of 0.0 per gillnet lift was down from 2013 (7.8) and was below average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. The absence of observed Walleye is likely due to a partial winterkill. Low dissolved oxygen measurements taken mid-winter and anecdotal evidence from lake residents suggests a partial winterkill event occurred during the winter of 2022-2023. Northern pike abundance of 7.6 per gillnet lift was down from 2013 (17.2) and was average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Mean length was 21.1 inches and growth was average when compared to other Duluth Area lakes. All year-classes from 2018 through 2022 were represented. The 2021 year-class was strong, contributing to 58% of the overall catch. Yellow perch abundance of 20 per gillnet lift was down from 2013 (35.5) and was above average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Average length of perch was 6.8 inches and growth was average when compared to other Duluth Area lakes. All year-classes from 2017 to 2022 were represented. Black crappie abundance of 0.0 per trapnet lift was down from 2013 (0.2) and was below average when compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. The suggested partial winterkill may be a contributing factor to the absence of Black Crappie in the 2023 survey. Bluegill abundance of 0.2 per trapnet lift was down from 2013 (2.8) and below average when compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Both Bluegill observed were from the 2020 year class and averaged 6.1 inches in length. No Largemouth Bass were sampled by electrofishing. The suggested partial winterkill may be a contributing factor to the absence of Largemouth Bass in the 2023 survey. Bullhead (Black Bullhead and Brown Bullhead) abundance of 163 per gillnet lift was well above average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Measured Black Bullheads (124 fish) had a mean length of 7.9 inches and a maximum length of 12.3 inches. Measured Brown Bullheads (113 fish) had a mean…
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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