Richardson Lake
Meeker County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 47008800
DNR records show 9 stocking entries at Richardson Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2024 (23,523 fish).
- Richardson Lake has 9 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2016-2024): walleye (7), bluegill sunfish (1), largemouth bass (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 71,699 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 47 ft; surface area 119 acres, 45 littoral acres, 1.8 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 5.1 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Meeker County, nearest town Darwin; DNR lake number (DOW) 47008800.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/31/1970 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 23,523 | 0.2 |
| 2023 | Bluegill Sunfish | adults | 27 | 5.4 |
| 2023 | Largemouth Bass | adults | 18 | 18.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 23,302 | 0.2 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 22,834 | 0.2 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fingerlings | 710 | 85.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fingerlings | 466 | 29.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | yearlings | 720 | 90.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | yearlings | 144 | 32.0 |
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 | Minnesota DNR | - One rig at ac1 on 6/17/08. |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 34.00 | 204 | 0.11 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 12.17 | 73 | 1.72 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 4.17 | 25 | 0.19 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 1.50 | 9 | 0.21 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 0.83 | 5 | 0.12 |
| Common carp | Standard gill nets | 0.83 | 5 | 3.91 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 2 | 0.11 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.17 | 1 | 0.18 |
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.
Richardson is a small-sized lake (119 acres) located north of the city of Darwin in Meeker County. A state-owned access with gravel parking and a single cement boat ramp is available on the south shore. Richardson has approximately two miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of forty-seven feet. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has divided Minnesota's lakes into 44 different classes based on physical and chemical characteristics. Richardson is a class 24 lake and other similar waterbodies in the Hutchinson Fisheries Management Area are Erie and Belle Lakes in Meeker County. Richardson's 2019 lake management plan listed Walleye as primary management species, while Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass and White Crappie were secondary species. Richardson sustained a substantial partial winterkill in 2023. Bluegill, Largemouth Bass and Walleye were stocked in the spring of 2023 following the winterkill. Netting was completed in 2024 to monitor the fish population. Richardson Lake, like nearby Dunn's Lake, is best known for its crappie. However, crappie numbers can be extremely variable. Black Crappie numbers and size structure were down in 2024, likely the result of the winterkill. It will take a few years for things to bounce back, but plenty of broodstock are present. No White Crappie were sampled for the second straight survey. White Crappie haven't been sampled in appreciable numbers since 2008. Walleye abundance shared a similar fate as crappie. Only a few Walleye were sampled and they were all small yearlings. It will take a few years and fry stockings to build back up the population. The best bright spot for Richardson Lake is probably Northern Pike. Good numbers were sampled in 2024. Despite most being small, they should grow rapidly and provide some angling action soon. Additional fishes sampled in the 2024 gill nets included low numbers of Black Bullhead, Bluegill Common Carp, Largemouth Bass, and Yellow Perch. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Overharvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are typically moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters and lakeshore owners, and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants and animals from their watercraft and drain all lake water from their boat and bait buckets before leaving the lake. If you suspect an…
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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