O'Dowd Lake
Scott County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 70009500
DNR records show 22 stocking entries at O'Dowd Lake since 2016, most recently walleye yearlings in 2025 (4,760 fish).
- O'Dowd Lake has 22 DNR stocking records across 10 years (2016-2025): walleye (22).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 31,573 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 22 ft; surface area 301 acres, 235 littoral acres, 9.3 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 3.9 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Scott County, nearest town Shakopee; DNR lake number (DOW) 70009500.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 5/12/1971 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | yearlings | 4,760 | 235.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fingerlings | 121 | 16.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye | yearlings | 65 | 75.5 |
| 2024 | Walleye | yearlings | 374 | 88.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fingerlings | 174 | 60.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye | yearlings | 187 | 56.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fingerlings | 4,343 | 262.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fingerlings | 4,090 | 197.1 |
| 2022 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 3,594 | 211.4 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fingerlings | 710 | 93.1 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fingerlings | 103 | 8.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fingerlings | 473 | 15.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 4,740 | 235.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fingerlings | 4,392 | 249.6 |
| 2018 | Walleye | adults | 11 | 22.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | yearlings | 750 | 187.5 |
| 2018 | Walleye | yearlings | 750 | 153.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | adults | 21 | 33.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fingerlings | 15 | 3.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | yearlings | 49 | 24.5 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fingerlings | 1,756 | 80.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | adults | 95 | 119.0 |
2 fish purchased by the DNR for stocking.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | - DNR operated public access on west central shore off of County Road 79 |
DNR fish survey, 2022
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 54.50 | 109 | 0.76 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 22.44 | 202 | 0.17 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 7.00 | 63 | 0.22 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 2.89 | 26 | 0.29 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 1.44 | 13 | 0.86 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.44 | 13 | 0.16 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 0.78 | 7 | 1.93 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 6 | 0.92 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 1.42 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 11.33 | 68 | 0.83 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 10.33 | 62 | 0.20 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 10.00 | 60 | 0.18 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 8.00 | 48 | 2.96 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 8.00 | 48 | 1.65 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 2.33 | 14 | 0.96 |
| Golden shiner | Standard gill nets | 1.17 | 7 | 0.11 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard gill nets | 0.17 | 1 | 0.45 |
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.
O'Dowd is a 300-acre (235 littoral acres) lake with a maximum depth of 22 feet. O'Dowd is located in the City of Shakopee, in northern Scott County. O'Dowd is actively managed for Walleye and Northern Pike, with secondary emphasis on Largemouth Bass. O'Dowd also supports catchable populations of Bluegill and Black Crappie. Walleye numbers are maintained through annual fall fingerling stocking of 1 pound per littoral acre (235 pounds). Public water access is provided by DNR Parks and Trails on the northwest side of the lake off county road 79 (up to 13 vehicle/trailer parking spaces). A standard survey (9 trap nets/6 gill nets) was completed on O'Dowd Lake during the week of 8/1/2022 to monitor water characteristics and fish populations. Water color was brown/green, with low water clarity, measured at 3.0 feet during the time of this survey. Dissolved oxygen fell to zero parts per million (ppm) below 16 feet. Eurasian Watermilfoil has also been found in O'Dowd, and remains present. One interesting note, O'Dowd is one of a few lakes in the metro where Common Carp have never been sampled. High numbers of Walleye were sampled with gill nets (8/net), above the expected catch rate of similar lakes in the metro. Average length of Walleye sampled in gill nets was 16.5 inches with the largest measured at 25.4 inches. Annual stocking has maintained a balanced Walleye population (an intermediate between high numbers of small fish and few numbers of large fish). Walleye growth in Lake O'Dowd was fast compared to similar lakes across the metro, indicated by an average length of 15.2 inches by age 3. Results from the 2022 O'Dowd Lake survey show Walleye meeting or exceeding the long-range management goals for both numbers and sizes providing excellent angling opportunity. High numbers of Northern Pike were sampled with gill nets (8/net), above the expected catch rate of similar lakes. There were 48 Northern Pike sampled in gill nets during the 2022 survey, the highest catch in the previous 25 years. Average size of Northern Pike in the 2022 survey was 22.9 inches with the largest measured at 36.8 inches. Northern Pike size indices describes a balanced population with consistent recruitment. Growth was average compared to similar lakes across the metro, with an average length of 18.0 inches by age 3. Results from the 2022 O'Dowd Lake survey show Northern Pike meeting or exceeding the long-range management goals for both numbers and sizes providing excellent angling opportunity. Largemouth Bass were sampled during spring 2022 with nighttime boat electrofishing, the…
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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