Osakis Lake
Todd County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 77021500
DNR records show 29 stocking entries at Osakis Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (3,389,000 fish).
- Osakis Lake has 29 DNR stocking records across 10 years (2016-2025): walleye (29).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 30,649,380 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 73 ft, mean depth 20 ft; surface area 6,389 acres, 3,389 littoral acres, 26.8 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 3.4 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, and 6 more.
- 4 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Todd County, nearest town Osakis; DNR lake number (DOW) 77021500.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/29/1964 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 3,389,000 | 27.4 |
| 2025 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 11,880 | 900.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye1 | yearlings | 238 | 140.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 15,910 | 860.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 3,389,000 | 32.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 3,389,000 | 30.7 |
| 2023 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 12,060 | 900.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 3,389,000 | 28.4 |
| 2022 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 11,250 | 750.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 7,500 | 300.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 18,347 | 1,000.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye1 | yearlings | 3,600 | 300.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 3,389,000 | 30.4 |
| 2020 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 7,400 | 370.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 3,389,000 | 28.4 |
| 2019 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 15,050 | 500.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 3,400,000 | 34.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 7,650 | 450.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 3,390,000 | 31.6 |
| 2017 | Walleye1 | yearlings | 274 | 83.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 5,434 | 380.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fingerlings | 3,866 | 147.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | yearlings | 260 | 88.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 6,063 | 430.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 3,389,000 | 32.9 |
| 2016 | Walleye | adults | 102 | 109.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fingerlings | 8,791 | 981.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | yearlings | 130 | 114.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | adults | 575 | 243.0 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| gravel ramp | TOW | |
| concrete ramp | county | |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 47.08 | 565 | 0.80 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 28.17 | 338 | 0.28 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 6.83 | 82 | 1.38 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 6.08 | 73 | 0.10 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 5.17 | 62 | 3.42 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 1.83 | 22 | 0.45 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard gill nets | 1.50 | 18 | 0.27 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 12 | 1.32 |
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.
Lake Osakis (6,389 acres) is a nutrient-rich, highly productive basin located in both Douglas and Todd counties. Due to high nutrient levels, water quality can be seasonally impaired with periodic algal blooms and low water clarity ( In August 2025 a targeted fish survey was completed to gain current information on the fish community in Lake Osakis. Walleye catch rates were similar to the previous two surveys at 6.8 fish/gill net. Young Walleye are stocked each year by the DNR and Osakis Lake Association to supplement natural reproduction, although assessing contributions from natural reproduction and the different stockings that take place is difficult due to the high frequency of Walleye stocking events. This survey will be part of a four year study determining the level of natural reproduction and contributions from stocking in Lake Osakis. Recently, moderate sized year classes were recorded in four consecutive years from 2021 through 2024. Approximately 50% of Walleye caught in this survey exceeded 15 inches and were legal to harvest. On average, Walleye reach the 15-inch minimum length limit at around 3 years old. Northern Pike abundance was near the long-term average for Lake Osakis. Gill net catches averaged 5.2 fish/gill net, which is lower than many lakes in the area, but more desirable when hoping to maintain better Northern Pike size structure and higher Walleye abundance. The number of moderate to larger sized Northern Pike appears to be improving. The largest pike caught measured 36.1 inches. Anglers are encouraged to take advantage of expanded harvest opportunities within the North-central Harvest Zone to increase harvest of small ( Lake Osakis supports high quality bass and panfish fishing opportunities. Black Crappie catch rates were still above the long-term average for Lake Osakis. An extremely large Black Crappie year class from 2010 elevated crappie numbers to historic proportions during past surveys. While crappie fisheries tend to be cyclical in nature, these very large year classes can impact recruitment of other species, especially Walleye. The moderate abundance of Black Crappie currently in Lake Osakis will still provide excellent crappie fishing, while likely providing room for the Walleye population to rebound. Many of the crappie caught during this survey were smaller, but they grow fast in Lake Osakis and should soon reach harvestable sizes. Bluegill catch rates were high during this survey, with many fish over 8 inches observed. Lake Osakis has the potential to grow very large Bluegill, but excessive harvest can greatly…
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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