O'Brien Lake (Crow Wing County)
Crow Wing County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 18022700
DNR records show 4 stocking entries at O'Brien Lake (Crow Wing County) since 2016, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2024 (3,090 fish).
- O'Brien Lake (Crow Wing County) has 4 DNR stocking records across 3 years (2016-2024): walleye (3), yellow perch (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 5,360 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 49 ft; surface area 186 acres, 103 littoral acres, 4.7 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 24.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, and 2 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Crow Wing County, nearest town Cross Lake; DNR lake number (DOW) 18022700.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 3,090 | 103.0 |
| 2024 | Yellow Perch1 | fingerlings | 2,640 | 88.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 1,620 | 90.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 650 | 54.0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| O | Minnesota DNR | - Access to be completed in 2013 |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 29.67 | 267 | 0.28 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 3.67 | 33 | 0.48 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 3.44 | 31 | 0.31 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 1.22 | 11 | 0.32 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.78 | 7 | 0.31 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 0.78 | 7 | 0.50 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 1.05 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 3.51 |
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.
A summer trap net survey was conducted in O'Brien Lake by IBI Program staff beginning on June 10, 2024. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline in locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Trap net sampling captured 10 species of fish, including 1 species that is intolerant of disturbance (Rock Bass). Bluegill comprised a majority of the catch both by number and by biomass. Pumpkinseed and Yellow Bullhead were also numerous. Bowfin, although few in number, comprised a significant proportion of the catch by biomass. The trap net survey data was combined with a targeted survey of nearshore fish species in O'Brien Lake conducted in August of 2022. Nearshore sampling captured 19 species of fish, including 7 species that are intolerant of disturbance (Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Least Darter, Rock Bass, and Smallmouth Bass) and 1 species that is tolerant of disturbance (Green Sunfish). The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from a survey conducted in June of 2019 to describe the fish community and provide a fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Green Sunfish and Common Carp). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. This survey, and the corresponding nearshore and gill net surveys, provide evidence that the fish community in O'Brien Lake is healthy as indicated by an FIBI score that exceeds the exceptional use threshold determined for similar lakes. The survey results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Pine River Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. O'Brien Lake provides recreational angling opportunities for sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, and Walleye. Although uncommon, Smallmouth Bass are also present in O'Brien Lake. O'Brien Lake provides habitat for the Least Darter, a species of special concern in Minnesota. Least…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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