Ocheda Lake
Nobles County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 53002400
DNR records show 5 stocking entries at Ocheda Lake since 2021, most recently walleye fry in 2023 (845,500 fish).
- Ocheda Lake has 5 DNR stocking records across 3 years (2021-2023): northern pike (2), yellow perch (2), walleye (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 845,500 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 5 ft; surface area 1,691 acres, 1,691 littoral acres, 20.6 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, orangespotted sunfish, white crappie, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Nobles County, nearest town Worthington; DNR lake number (DOW) 53002400.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 845,500 | 7.3 |
| 2022 | Northern Pike | fry | 115,767 | 3.9 |
| 2022 | Yellow Perch | adults | 6,900 | 430.0 |
| 2021 | Northern Pike | fry | 104,188 | 3.3 |
| 2021 | Yellow Perch | adults | 7,060 | 372.0 |
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 | county | - COUNTY PARK ON NW SIDE OF W BASIN. |
| gravel ramp | county | - COUNTY ACCESS NORTH OF BRIDGE BETWEEN EAST AND MIDDLE BASINS. |
DNR fish survey, 2009
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 63.00 | 63 | 0.18 |
| Common carp | Standard gill nets | 43.00 | 43 | 2.38 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 18.00 | 18 | 0.27 |
| Bigmouth buffalo | Standard gill nets | 16.00 | 16 | 0.31 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 14.00 | 14 | 2.22 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 2 | 1.92 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 14.40 | 72 | 0.23 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 6.40 | 32 | 1.28 |
| Common carp | Standard trap nets | 5.40 | 27 | 4.91 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 3.40 | 17 | 3.63 |
| Bigmouth buffalo | Standard trap nets | 2.40 | 12 | 3.98 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 2.20 | 11 | 0.26 |
| White crappie | Standard trap nets | 1.80 | 9 | 0.42 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.80 | 4 | 0.55 |
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.
Ocheda is a 1,700-acre lake located 2 miles south of Worthington in Nobles County. The lake has a maximum depth of 5 feet, 21 miles of shoreline, and is a class 41 lake. The lake is managed primarily for northern pike while yellow perch and walleye are managed secondarily. Local riparian owners and the Okabena-Ocheda Watershed District met in 2010 to develop a plan that would improve the water quality in Ocheda Lake. Lowering water levels and reducing common carp populations were some of the topics discussed at the meeting. An aeration system is operated on the lake to help prevent winterkill but was not operated during the winter of 2009-10. Oxygen Levels did drop below 2 ppm in February of 2010. Northern pike numbers are high when compared to other lakes with similar morphology and chemical characteristics. Lengths of northern pike caught in our gill nets ranged from 15.8 to 25.2 inches and averaged 20.9 inches. Trap nets sampled some larger northern pike. Lengths of northern pike caught in our trap nets in 2009 ranged from 14.9 to 36.2 inches with and averaged 25.0 inches. Yellow perch numbers were similar to other lakes like Ocheda. Lengths of yellow perch caught in our gill nets ranged from 6.7 to 10.0 inches and averaged 8.1 inches. Walleye numbers are low when compared to other lakes like Ocheda. All walleye caught in our gill nets were age 3 and likely originated from a fry stocking in Okabena Lake in 2006. High water levels during the spring of 2006 may have allowed walleye fry to drift over the dam and eventually end up in Ocheda Lake. Carp have historically been a problem in Ocheda and is likely one of the major causes of the poor water quality in the lake. The carp population is extremely high with the gill net catch rates being four times higher than what we would expect in lakes similar to Ocheda. Lengths of carp caught in our gill nets ranged from 4.9 to 21.5 inches and averaged 16.9 inches. Lengths of carp caught in our trap nets ranged from 15.8 to 28.4 inches and averaged 20.8 inches. If you are looking for a meal of spring bullhead, Ocheda would be a good choice. Lengths of black bullhead caught in our trap nets ranged from 7.0 to 11.3 inches and averaged 8.0 inches. Other fish sampled during our population assessment included bigmouth buffalo, black crappie, and white crappie. To maintain a healthy fishery in Ocheda Lake, we need to promote Best Management Practices (BMPs) within the watershed to help reduce nutrients entering the lake. High nutrients and sediments in a lake can cause algae blooms and reduce water clarity.
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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