Poplar Lake (Polk County)
Polk County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 60000600
DNR records show 2 stocking entries at Poplar Lake (Polk County) since 2018, most recently walleye fry in 2023 (78,000 fish).
- Poplar Lake (Polk County) has 2 DNR stocking records across 2 years (2018-2023): walleye (2).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 156,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 23 ft, mean depth 15 ft; surface area 90 acres, 39 littoral acres, 2.3 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 8.2 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Polk County, nearest town Lengby; DNR lake number (DOW) 60000600.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 78,000 | 0.6 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 78,000 | 0.7 |
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 | county | Southeast shore off of 380th Ave. - Short gravel approach off of the road. Limited parking, no dock. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 19.00 | 38 | 0.07 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 4.00 | 8 | 1.94 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 6 | 0.34 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 1.50 | 3 | 2.04 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 2 | 0.18 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 12.11 | 109 | 0.18 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 3.56 | 32 | 0.12 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 9 | 0.09 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 9 | 0.62 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 6 | 1.17 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.45 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 0.61 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 0.55 |
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.
Poplar Lake is a 75-acre, class 33 lake located in southeastern Polk County approximately four miles southeast of Fosston. The maximum depth is 23 feet. This lake experiences low oxygen levels during severe winters and has suffered winterkills of varying degrees on a number of occasions. However, Poplar Lake has not experienced a severe winterkill since 1993. The access is a short, gravel approach off the township road along the east shore. There is no designated parking area, but boaters using the lake usually park along the side of the road. Anglers should use caution when doing this, and it is important to note that the access can be difficult to maneuver and launch a boat without four-wheel drive. A standard survey was completed on Poplar Lake from 07/07/2025 to 07/08/2025 to assess the fish community. Northern Pike abundance was similar to past surveys. Northern Pike ranged in total length from 16.4 to 29.5 inches and averaged 21.2 inches. The Bluegill catch rate in 2025 was the highest on record and fish ranged from 3.2 to 9.5 inches and had an average length of 5.7 inches. Yellow Perch total length ranged from 5.3 to 6.7 inches and averaged 5.9 inches. No Walleye were sampled during the 2025 survey. One Largemouth Bass, and low numbers of Black Crappie were captured in trap nets. Black Crappie averaged 10 inches in length and ranged from 6.6 to 13.1 inches in length. Other species sampled during this survey included Brown Bullhead, Black Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, and White Sucker. No Common Carp were captured in 2025. Based on the 2025 survey, the fishery in this small lake may not be able to tolerate heavier fishing pressure. Anglers can help maintain the quality of the fishery by practicing catch-and-release and selective harvest.
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. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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