Preston Lake
Renville County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 65000200
DNR records show 5 stocking entries at Preston Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2024 (327,000 fish).
- Preston Lake has 5 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2016-2024): walleye (5).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 2,745,927 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 11 ft, mean depth 7 ft; surface area 655 acres, 655 littoral acres, 5.4 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 2.2 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, walleye, white sucker, and 1 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Renville County, nearest town Buffalo Lake; DNR lake number (DOW) 65000200.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 6/6/1979 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 327,000 | 2.8 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 327,983 | 3.2 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 655,000 | 5.5 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 781,358 | 7.6 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 654,586 | 6.2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | Boat ramp and access located on west side of lake- one mile north of - Boat ramp and access located on west side of lake; one mile north of Renville County Road 25. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 19.25 | 231 | 0.15 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 2.67 | 32 | 3.34 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 24 | 2.70 |
| Common carp | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 12 | 8.00 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 0.83 | 10 | 1.12 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.25 | 3 | 0.24 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 0.25 | 3 | 0.12 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.08 | 1 | 2.86 |
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.
Preston is a moderate-sized lake (655 acres) located northeast of the Town of Buffalo Lake in Renville County. A state-owned access with gravel parking and a single cement boat ramp is present along the west shore. There is a fishing pier present at the public access. Preston has approximately five miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of eleven feet. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has divided Minnesota's lakes into 44 different classes based on physical and chemical characteristics. Preston is a class 43 lake and other similar waterbodies in the Hutchinson Fisheries Management Area are Swan and Hook Lakes in McLeod County. Preston's 2020 lake management plan listed Walleye as the primary management species, while Black Crappie were a secondary management species. Preston occasionally suffers from partial winterkills, with the most recent event occurring in 2013. Fish populations can fluctuate widely depending on the severity of the latest winterkill event. A Walleye jaw tagging exploitation study was initiated in the spring of 2025 (see separate targeted survey report for more details) and anglers are encouraged to call the Hutchinson Area Fisheries Office (320-753-0339) if they catch a tagged Walleye from Preston. Summer gill netting was completed in 2025 to monitor the fish population and evaluate the 2022 Walleye fry stocking regime (500 Lower Mississippi strain fry per littoral acre - every other year). Curlyleaf pondweed, a submergent aquatic plant, can be abundant in May and June at Preston Lake. Low numbers of Walleye were netted in 2025, but average size was impressive (almost 19 inches in length). The maximum length of Walleye sampled was a remarkable 27 inches. A notable 59 percent of the catch was 21 inches or longer and the oldest Walleye was age-13. Black Crappie were not netted in 2025. High numbers of Yellow Perch were collected, and some were keeper-sized. Approximately 15 percent of the catch was 8 inches or longer. Low numbers of Northern Pike were gill netted this year with fish averaging 20 inches in length. Maximum length of Northern Pike was a respectable 33 inches. Many of the pike that were captured were 24 inches or longer. Northern Pike regulations were revised at a statewide level beginning in 2018 to better accommodate regional differences in pike habitats, population abundances and size structures. Three management zones were established for Northern Pike, with their own bag limit and length limit restrictions. In the southern zone, where Preston Lake is found, anglers can keep two Northern Pike.…
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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