Pearl Lake (Becker County)
Becker County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 03048600
DNR records show 6 stocking entries at Pearl Lake (Becker County) since 2016, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2024 (3,192 fish).
- Pearl Lake (Becker County) has 6 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2016-2024): walleye (6).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 17,852 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 54 ft; surface area 280 acres, 168 littoral acres, 3.9 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 7.9 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Becker County, nearest town Detroit Lakes; DNR lake number (DOW) 03048600.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 8/18/1965 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | fingerlings | 3,192 | 168.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fingerlings | 4,658 | 168.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | adults | 1,512 | 168.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fingerlings | 3,538 | 171.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | yearlings | 752 | 127.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fingerlings | 4,200 | 210.0 |
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| asphalt ramp | Minnesota DNR | Located on south shore just east of the small, rounded peninsula and off the NW corner of Pearl Lake Drive. |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 28.00 | 168 | 0.19 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 18.67 | 112 | 1.94 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 3.33 | 20 | 0.10 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 2.83 | 17 | 1.29 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 2.50 | 15 | 0.29 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 2.33 | 14 | 3.36 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.17 | 7 | 1.05 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 2 | 0.09 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 20.88 | 167 | 0.13 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 2.12 | 17 | 1.20 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.62 | 13 | 0.14 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.88 | 7 | 0.41 |
| Green sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.25 | 2 | 0.06 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.25 | 2 | 0.29 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.12 | 1 | 1.36 |
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.
Pearl Lake is a 280-acre lake southwest of Detroit Lakes, MN, within the Ottertail River Watershed. There is a public access on the southeast side of the lake. Pearl Lake is primarily noted for its Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish angling, with occasional catches of Walleye. A standard fisheries survey was completed in August 2024 to assess the fish populations for Pearl Lake. Anglers will find an abundant number of Northern Pike in Pearl Lake, however, most of these fish will be on the small side. The catch rate of Northern Pike in the 2024 survey was the highest observed at the lake since 1998. The average size of the pike captured was 20 inches, but one fish measured close to 40 inches. Walleye numbers were below average for the lake, but the average size was good. Almost 93% of the Walleye captured in 2024 were over 15 inches and 64% were over 20 inches. Bluegill numbers were down for the lake and most of the fish were small. No fish over eight inches were caught in trap nets. The longest Bluegill measured from gill nets was 8.2 inches. Black Crappie and Largemouth Bass were captured in low numbers in the trap nets, which is often the case with this sampling gear. Black Crappie up to 10.5 inches were measured and Largemouth Bass up to 16.5 inches were captured. Other fish species observed were Black and Brown Bullhead, Green Sunfish, hybrid sunfish, Pumpkinseed, and Yellow Perch.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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