Ox Yoke Lake
Cass County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 11035500
Ox Yoke Lake has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- Ox Yoke Lake shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 42 ft; surface area 185 acres, 88 littoral acres, 2.9 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 13.8 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, and 1 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Cass County, nearest town Backus; DNR lake number (DOW) 11035500.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | Access is on the south shore |
DNR fish survey, 2022
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 10.17 | 61 | 0.35 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 9.67 | 58 | 1.94 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 9.50 | 57 | 0.13 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 9.33 | 56 | 0.21 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 5.00 | 30 | 1.02 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 4.00 | 24 | 0.22 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.83 | 11 | 0.62 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 1.50 | 9 | 0.14 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 6.33 | 57 | 0.11 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 4.44 | 40 | 0.43 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.33 | 12 | 0.13 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 1.11 | 10 | 0.23 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.78 | 7 | 0.52 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 6 | 3.65 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 6 | 1.14 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 0.39 |
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.
Ox Yoke Lake is a 187-acre lake with 2.87 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 42 feet located north of Backus, MN. A Minnesota Department of Natural Resources owned public access is located on the south shore. The MNDNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Ox Yoke Lake is in Lake Class 31; lakes in this class are generally clear and productive with moderate depth. The lake is primarily managed for Largemouth Bass and Black Crappie and secondarily for Northern Pike, Bluegill, and Yellow Perch. A 10 Sunfish possession limit was implemented in 1996 to improve size structure. This regulation showed initial improvements which were not sustained over the long-term, and was converted to a 5 Sunfish daily limit (statewide possession limit still applies) in 2022. Ox Yoke Lake is a great multi-species lake. Black Crappie were above management goals and ranged in length from 4 to 11 inches long with an average length of 7 inches. Bluegill numbers in 2022 were the lowest recorded and did not meet management goals. Bluegill ranged in length from 3 to 8 inches with an average length of 5 inches. Largemouth Bass ranged in length from 6 to 17 inches with an average length and weight of 12 inches and 1.2 pounds. Northern Pike numbers exceeded management goals, and ranged in length from 9 to 34 inches with an average length and weight of 20 inches and 2.0 pounds. Other species sampled were Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, Yellow Bullhead, and Yellow Perch. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation. Currently no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Ox Yoke Lake however, Purple Loosestrife is found on the lake's shore. AIS are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local natural resource office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Walker Area Fisheries office.
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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