Okabena Lake

Nobles County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data

Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 53002800

DNR records show 12 stocking entries at Okabena Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2024 (375,500 fish).

• Okabena Lake has 12 DNR stocking records across 7 years (2016-2024): walleye (11), yellow perch (1).
• The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 2,818,961 fish on record.
• Maximum depth 16 ft, mean depth 8 ft; surface area 776 acres, 752 littoral acres, 6.5 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
• Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 1.5 ft.
• Fish species DNR lists here: bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, freshwater drum, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, and 6 more.
• 4 public accesses on the DNR list.
• Most recent DNR fish survey: November 3, 2025 (targeted survey).
• Nobles County, nearest town Worthington; DNR lake number (DOW) 53002800.

Depth map

Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 6/11/1987 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.

Stocking history

Public accesses

DNR fish survey, 2025

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.

Okabena Lake is a 776-acre lake, located in Nobles County in the City of Worthington. Okabena Lake is managed primarily for Walleye and secondarily for Yellow Perch, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill and Crappie. Lower Mississippi Strain (LMS) Walleye fry has been stocked in Okabena Lake periodically since the spring of 2018, but were not stocked in 2025. Lake Okabena has areas of spawning habitat and has shown sporadic natural reproduction, thus LMS Walleye have been stocked because anecdotal evidence suggests that they may have a survival advantage and natural reproduction potential in southern Minnesota lakes. Sexually mature LMS Walleye from initial stockings should be present, thus a natural reproduction check using nighttime electrofishing was conducted on November 3, 2025 to determine if Walleye naturally reproduced in this system. Young-of-the year Walleye were captured at a rate of 15.8 per hour electrofishing, which indicates that some natural reproduction occurred, but it may not be a strong year class. Analysis of fall electrofishing data by DNR staff indicated that a catch rate greater than 5 per hour can result in a successful year class and greater than 25 per hour often produces a year class. Therefore, potential exists for Okabena Lake. Lengths of Walleye ranged from 8.2 to 9.7 inches and averaged 9.0 inches. Fin clips from those Age 0 Walleye indicate that predominate ancestry indicates 60% Lower Mississippi River Genetic while 16% ancestry points to Spicer Strain. Either way, over 75% of the composition points to southern strain Walleye genetics from the natural reproduction documented on Okabena Lake. The current management plan prescribes stocking Walleye fry every other year; thus, Walleye fry will be stocked in 2026 and 2028.

Minnesota DNR survey narrative, November 3, 2025.

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