Pulaski Lake
Wright County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 86005300
DNR records show 9 stocking entries at Pulaski Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2024 (3,160 fish).
- Pulaski Lake has 9 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2016-2024): walleye (9).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 1,013,658 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 87 ft, mean depth 38 ft; surface area 813 acres, 122 littoral acres, 5.9 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 12.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, and 3 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Wright County, nearest town Buffalo; DNR lake number (DOW) 86005300.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | fingerlings | 3,160 | 280.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fingerlings | 238 | 34.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | adults | 26 | 31.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fingerlings | 2,259 | 251.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye | yearlings | 3,407 | 271.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fingerlings | 2,136 | 175.5 |
| 2018 | Walleye | yearlings | 227 | 196.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 1,000,000 | 9.7 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fingerlings | 2,205 | 210.0 |
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 | city |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 47.33 | 568 | 0.72 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 16.75 | 201 | 0.23 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 10.25 | 123 | 1.43 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 8.83 | 106 | 0.15 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 8.17 | 98 | 0.50 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 2.83 | 34 | 2.90 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard gill nets | 2.42 | 29 | 0.26 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.92 | 11 | 0.61 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 27.06 | 52 | 1.81 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 7.83 | 94 | 0.09 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 2.25 | 27 | 0.17 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 8 | 0.54 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.50 | 6 | 1.65 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 4 | 0.18 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 0.25 | 3 | 0.49 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.17 | 2 | 1.84 |
| Green sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.08 | 1 | 0.02 |
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 Pulaski is a 702-acre, highly developed lake located within the city limits of Buffalo. The lake has a maximum depth of 87 feet and has excellent water clarity for the area, making it a popular destination for summer recreation. There is a city-owned public access located on the southwest side of the lake, adjacent to a public swim beach and fishing pier. Eurasian watermilfoil remains common, and zebra mussels were discovered in the lake in 2022. Boaters should use care to prevent the spread of these and other aquatic invasive species to nearby lakes. A standard lake survey was completed August 11-15, 2025, to update fisheries data last collected in 2020. The summer survey included gill netting, trap netting, and spring Largemouth Bass electrofishing. The introduction and establishment of zebra mussels have likely contributed to the marked increase in water clarity, with the average Secchi depth improving from 10 feet in 2020 to 13 feet in 2025. While clearer water enhances recreational appeal, it also alters lake ecology by increasing plant growth, shifting predator-prey interactions, and making sight-feeding fish such as Walleye more difficult for anglers to catch. Walleyes remain a key part of the fish community, supported by fingerling stocking during even-numbered years. Abundance was lower in 2025 than in 2020, and below the expected values for this type of lake. Walleye ranged in length from 11 to 28 inches, averaging 20 inches and 3 pounds. Growth tends to be fast reaching 18 inches by age three. With lower catches, anglers may find fewer but larger individuals. Ongoing factors like clearer water and increased vegetation likely continue to influence how often Walleye are caught and how young fish enter the population. Northern Pike remain abundant and self-sustaining as no stocking has occurred since 1993. Numbers in 2025 were similar to those in 2020, but below the long-term average Pike ranged from 11 to 30 inches in length and averaged 19 inches and 1.5 pounds, though only a small portion exceeded 26 inches. Northern pike continue to provide anglers with plenty of consistent action with chances for quality fish. To improve size structure and lessen predation on other species, anglers are encouraged to harvest smaller pike (under 22 inches) and release larger ones (over 26 inches). Largemouth Bass were sampled via daytime electrofishing in spring 2025. The catch was lower than the nighttime rate from 2015, but this doesn't necessarily indicate a population drop-daytime sampling often produces fewer fish, especially in very clear water…
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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