Muskrat Lake
Becker County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 03036000
Muskrat Lake has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- Muskrat Lake shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 18 ft; surface area 69 acres, 64 littoral acres, 2.1 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 8.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, yellow bullhead.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Becker County, nearest town Detroit Lakes; DNR lake number (DOW) 03036000.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/9/1966 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| earthen ramp | Minnesota DNR | Unimproved off-road access in County Park on northwest shore. |
| C | Minnesota DNR | Boat access via Pelican River from Detroit Lake. - Navigable by most boats and pontoons used on area lakes. |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 21.25 | 170 | 0.14 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 5.12 | 41 | 0.37 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 4.00 | 32 | 0.20 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 2.25 | 18 | 0.38 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.88 | 7 | 1.64 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.88 | 7 | 0.44 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.62 | 5 | 1.54 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.25 | 2 | 0.28 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 18.00 | 36 | 0.13 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 17.00 | 34 | 2.38 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 12.00 | 24 | 0.65 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 9.00 | 18 | 0.57 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 8.50 | 17 | 0.23 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.50 | 3 | 0.86 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 2 | 0.25 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 1 | 2.30 |
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.
Muskrat Lake is a 67-acre lake located on the Pelican River between Detroit and Sallie lakes. The lake's west shore consists of a dike which was built during the early 1900s to raise lake levels in Muskrat and Detroit. A lock and dam system to facilitate commercial boat passage was built into the north end of this dike at the same time. This system was modified in 1937 by replacing the wooden structure with a concrete stop log dam. In 2002 the crumbling dam and spillway were replaced with rock arch rapids to allow upstream fish passage and lessen drowning hazards while still maintaining upstream water levels on Muskrat and Detroit lakes. A standard fisheries survey was completed in July 2024 to assess the fish populations in Muskrat Lake. Anglers will find a high number of Northern Pike in Muskrat Lake with the chance to catch some quality sized pike. The catch rate of Northern Pike in the 2024 survey was the second highest ever observed for Muskrat Lake. The average size of the pike captured was 22 inches and 24% of the pike were over 26 inches. A total of two Walleyes were captured, which is typical for the lake. The largest Walleye was measured at 23.6 inches. Walleyes are not stocked into Muskrat Lake but can migrate in from Detroit and Sallie Lakes. Bluegill numbers were down for the lake and most of the fish were small. Only two percent of the Bluegills caught in trap nets were over eight inches. The longest Bluegill measured in 2024 was 8.1 inches. Black Crappie and Largemouth Bass were captured in low numbers in the nets, which is often the case with this sampling gear. Black Crappie up to 10.5 inches were measured and Largemouth Bass up to 16 inches were captured. Other fish species observed were Black, Brown, and Yellow Bullhead, Bowfin, hybrid sunfish, Pumpkinseed, and Rock Bass.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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