Oliver (west portion) Lake
Swift County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 76014602
DNR records show 4 stocking entries at Oliver (west portion) Lake since 2021, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (100,000 fish).
- Oliver (west portion) Lake has 4 DNR stocking records across 3 years (2021-2025): walleye (3), spo (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 301,141 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 14 ft; surface area 218 acres, 3.0 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 8.2 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, crappie, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, smallmouth bass, suckers, and 5 more.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Swift County, nearest town Appleton; DNR lake number (DOW) 76014602.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 6/4/1969 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 100,000 | 0.8 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 101,141 | 0.9 |
| 2021 | SPO | adults | 3,534 | 57.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 100,000 | 0.8 |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 1/4-in trap nets | 1754.83 | 10,529 | 0.00 |
| Black crappie | 1/4-in trap nets | 925.67 | 5,554 | 0.00 |
| Spottail shiner | 1/4-in trap nets | 57.83 | 347 | 0.00 |
| Orangespotted sunfish | 1/4-in trap nets | 26.50 | 159 | 0.00 |
| Smallmouth bass | 1/4-in trap nets | 14.00 | 84 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | 1/4-in trap nets | 4.00 | 24 | 0.00 |
| Yellow bullhead | 1/4-in trap nets | 3.33 | 20 | 0.00 |
| Walleye | 1/4-in trap nets | 1.83 | 11 | 0.00 |
| SUN | Fall electrofishing | 680.00 | 340 | 0.00 |
| OTM | Fall electrofishing | 600.00 | 300 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | Fall electrofishing | 280.00 | 140 | 0.00 |
| Walleye | Fall electrofishing | 172.00 | 86 | 0.00 |
| Smallmouth bass | Fall electrofishing | 60.00 | 30 | 0.00 |
| Common carp | Fall electrofishing | 40.00 | 20 | 0.00 |
| Black crappie | Fall electrofishing | 30.00 | 15 | 0.00 |
| OTS | Fall electrofishing | 14.00 | 7 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 28.33 | 85 | 0.30 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 7.33 | 22 | 2.66 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 2 | 3.02 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 1 | 2.25 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 8.57 | 60 | 0.10 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard trap nets | 2.00 | 14 | 1.97 |
| Green sunfish | Standard trap nets | 1.43 | 10 | 0.11 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 1.29 | 9 | 1.21 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 1.14 | 8 | 2.29 |
| Common carp | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 7 | 12.31 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.86 | 6 | 0.39 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.29 | 2 | 0.21 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 8.25 | 11 | 2.10 |
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.
Oliver Lake is in western Swift County, approximately nine miles north of Appleton. The lake is split into an east basin (455 acres) and west basin (212 acres) by Swift County Highway 5. A culvert exists under the highway and the basins typically have similar fish communities. This survey was conducted on West Oliver Lake to collect routine fish data using gill nets, trap nets and electrofishing. These data can be compared to historical Standard and Targeted Surveys from West Oliver Lake. West Oliver Lake has been a good walleye fishery for many years. Walleyes were moderately abundant in 2025 with a relatively high number between 14 and 19 inches. Some larger fish over 20 inches were also present. The walleye population has primarily been maintained by fry stocking, with smaller contributions by stocked fingerlings and yearlings. Some natural reproduction has been observed in recent years as well. A substantial population of smallmouth bass has become established in West Oliver Lake, with fish up to 19 inches present. Yellow perch numbers in 2025 were higher than in recent years. Many perch were between 8 and 9.5 inches, with the largest measuring over 11 inches. Moderate numbers of bluegills were present, but few were over 7 inches. Black crappie populations tend to fluctuate widely in prairie lakes, and West Oliver Lake is no exception. Although black crappies have been abundant at times historically, but very few were caught in 2025.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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