North Union Lake
Douglas County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 21009500
North Union Lake has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- North Union Lake shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 42 ft, mean depth 5 ft; surface area 118 acres, 88 littoral acres, 4.1 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 15.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, yellow bullhead, and 1 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Douglas County, nearest town Alexandria; DNR lake number (DOW) 21009500.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 6/16/1966 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| C | - |
DNR fish survey, 2018
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 17.25 | 69 | 0.26 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 3.00 | 12 | 0.29 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 2.75 | 11 | 0.72 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 1.25 | 5 | 0.38 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.50 | 2 | 1.56 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.50 | 2 | 0.99 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.50 | 2 | 0.94 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.25 | 1 | 0.22 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 9.50 | 19 | 1.70 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 4 | 0.71 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 4 | 0.14 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 2 | 2.06 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 2 | 0.80 |
| Tullibee (cisco) | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 1 | 0.41 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 1 | 0.38 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 1 | 0.51 |
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.
North Union, Stony, and Lottie (Taylor) lakes form a chain of lakes between Brophy and Cowdry Lakes in Douglas County. North Union Lake is the upper or first lake in this chain of interconnected lakes. Brophy Lake discharges into North Union. North Union outlets to Stony Lake. None of these three small basins have public landings, but anglers can utilize access sites on Cowdry and Brophy Lakes and navigate small watercraft throughout the chain via flowage channels. Access to these lakes with larger, high profile boats is constrained by bridge crossings and road culverts. The lakes in this chain are small and relatively unique in that shoreline development has been limited and much of the natural shoreline remains intact. Water quality and clarity are very good. Water transparency at time of the August survey was measured at 19.0 feet. Near-shore areas support lush vegetative growth including bulrushes and water lilies. These habitat characteristics are ideal for Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and Bluegill. Bluegills are abundant in North Union and accounted for most of the total gamefish catch. Average size of Bluegills caught in trap nets was 6.8 inches. The largest Bluegill captured measured 8.4 inches. Ten percent of the total catch of Bluegills were 8.0 inches and larger. Black Crappie catches were low, but crappies are typically difficult to catch in mid-summer surveys. Crappies are anticipated to be more abundant than reflected in survey catch statistics. The largest Black Crappie caught in the survey was 10.1 inches long. Northern Pike are abundant in North Union Lake, though most of the fish caught in the survey were small. Average length of pike captures was 19.6 inches long. Navigation restrictions prevented access with an electrofishing boat to survey the Largemouth Bass population. Only a few Largemouth Bass were caught in the survey nets. Habitat conditions are excellent for Largemouth Bass and this popular gamefish is projected to be abundant. Anglers and other outdoor recreationists looking for a quiet lake should check out the North Union, Stony, and Lottie lake chain. This chain of lakes provides a remote lake setting in close proximity to the city of Alexandria. Lake Brophy County Park is currently in development and will encompass the West side of North Union Lake. Contact the Douglas County Park Division for more info on this county park. North Union Lake was designated as an infested water in 2011 after discovery of zebra mussels in upstream lakes. Recreational users should take necessary precautions to prevent further spread of…
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.
Hear when the states we cover post stockings
One email a week in season: which waters in the states we cover were stocked, straight from the state agencies' own postings. No spam, no fishing-gear ads in the mail.
Free · double opt-in · unsubscribe anytime · we store only your email.