North Center Lake
Chisago County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 13003201
DNR records show 5 stocking entries at North Center Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2024 (608,000 fish).
- North Center Lake has 5 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2016-2024): walleye (5).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 2,432,044 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 46 ft, mean depth 7 ft; surface area 749 acres, 608 littoral acres, 12.1 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 5.8 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, and 3 more.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Chisago County, nearest town Center City; DNR lake number (DOW) 13003201.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 10/18/1989 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 608,000 | 5.4 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 608,000 | 5.5 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 608,000 | 5.5 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 600,000 | 5.3 |
| 2016 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 8,044 | 500.0 |
2 fish purchased by the DNR for stocking.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| asphalt ramp | Minnesota DNR | South end of lake off HW 8. West of channel to South Center. |
| O | UKN | - Access to the south end of the lake through box culvert under Hwy 8.This navigable channel connects to South Center Lake. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 50-ft beach seine | 550.42 | 6,605 | 0.00 |
| Golden shiner | 50-ft beach seine | 20.50 | 246 | 0.00 |
| Brassy minnow | 50-ft beach seine | 11.00 | 132 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | 50-ft beach seine | 8.83 | 106 | 0.00 |
| Black crappie | 50-ft beach seine | 3.08 | 37 | 0.00 |
| Spotfin shiner | 50-ft beach seine | 1.00 | 12 | 0.00 |
| Johnny darter | 50-ft beach seine | 0.92 | 11 | 0.00 |
| Spottail shiner | 50-ft beach seine | 0.50 | 6 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | Backpack electrofishing | 214.63 | 428 | 0.00 |
| Golden shiner | Backpack electrofishing | 64.19 | 128 | 0.00 |
| Brassy minnow | Backpack electrofishing | 54.16 | 108 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | Backpack electrofishing | 28.58 | 57 | 0.00 |
| Iowa darter | Backpack electrofishing | 25.57 | 51 | 0.00 |
| Johnny darter | Backpack electrofishing | 20.06 | 40 | 0.00 |
| Spotfin shiner | Backpack electrofishing | 10.53 | 21 | 0.00 |
| Green sunfish | Backpack electrofishing | 5.52 | 11 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | 15-ft beach seine | 145.00 | 290 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | 15-ft beach seine | 3.50 | 7 | 0.00 |
| Golden shiner | 15-ft beach seine | 3.50 | 7 | 0.00 |
| Black crappie | 15-ft beach seine | 2.00 | 4 | 0.00 |
| Northern pike | 15-ft beach seine | 1.50 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Pumpkinseed | 15-ft beach seine | 1.00 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Hybrid sunfish | 15-ft beach seine | 0.50 | 1 | 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 the nearshore fish community was conducted by Hinckley fisheries staff on North Center Lake on July 21, 2025. Nearshore sampling captured 15 species of fish: Black Crappie, Bluegill, Bluntnose Minnow, Central Mudminnow, Golden Shiner, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Iowa Darter, Johnny Darter, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Pumpkinseed, Spotfin Shiner, Spottail Shiner, and Yellow Perch. The nearshore survey data is combined with standard gill and trap netting survey data from previous North Center Lake surveys to calculate a Fish IBI (FIBI) score and helps assess aquatic life in North Center Lake. The FIBI score for North Center Lake based on this survey is below the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. This survey is contributing to a watershed assessment process in coordination with the MN Pollution Control Agency. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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