Ringo Lake
Kandiyohi County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 34017200
DNR records show 7 stocking entries at Ringo Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (255,675 fish).
- Ringo Lake has 7 DNR stocking records across 7 years (2016-2025): walleye (7).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 2,094,112 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 10 ft; surface area 735 acres, 735 littoral acres, 9.6 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 2.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, shorthead redhorse, walleye, and 3 more.
- 2 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Kandiyohi County, nearest town Spicer; DNR lake number (DOW) 34017200.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 6/13/1978 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 255,675 | 2.5 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 299,922 | 3.1 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 351,654 | 3.3 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 367,424 | 3.5 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 501,661 | 4.5 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 317,760 | 3.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | adults | 16 | 26.0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| asphalt ramp | Minnesota DNR | Shore fishing rock platforms along the north shore. - Vehicles allowed on asphalt driveway next to multiple shore platforms. |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | North side of the lake. - Gravel parking lot with up to 10 spots. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 29.25 | 39 | 1.44 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 10.50 | 42 | 2.47 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 7.50 | 30 | 1.91 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 5.25 | 21 | 0.21 |
| Common carp | Standard gill nets | 1.50 | 6 | 9.95 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 4 | 1.01 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 0.75 | 3 | 0.18 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 2 | 0.39 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.25 | 1 | 1.31 |
| Walleye | Fall electrofishing | 7.00 | 7 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 4.22 | 38 | 0.29 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 3.89 | 35 | 0.60 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 2.89 | 26 | 3.30 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 1.11 | 10 | 3.08 |
| Common carp | Standard trap nets | 1.11 | 10 | 7.40 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 9 | 0.87 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.78 | 7 | 1.52 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 1.29 |
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.
A standard survey was conducted on Ringo Lake during mid-June of 2025. A spring night electrofishing survey was conducted during mid-May of 2025 for sampling pre-spawn Largemouth Bass. A fall night electrofishing survey was conducted for young of year "YOY" (fingerling sized) Walleye in mid-September of 2025. A targeted survey is generally used for sampling a specific kind of fish or time of year (i.e. spawning season, fall season, etc.) unlike a standard survey which samples a wider range of fish species during the summer months using standard methodology (i.e. standard time of year, set sampling stations, taking water clarity readings and oxygen/temperature profiles, etc.) and gears (i.e. lake survey gillnets, trapnets and possibly spring electrofishing for Largemouth Bass). Ringo is a moderate sized (735 acres), shallow (10 feet maximum depth), aerated, and productive lake located in Kandiyohi County. Ringo is part of the Hawk Creek Watershed. Total phosphorus levels were moderately high (0.066 ppm) for Ringo on June 9, 2014. Water clarity was fair (secchi=3.3 feet), and brown stained on June 9, 2025, but typical for Ringo Lake. Blue-green algae blooms are common during the late summer months on Ringo Lake. Sago pondweed has been the most frequently occurring submergent vegetation species in Ringo Lake. Submergent vegetation densities were generally low throughout the lake. Emergent vegetation (hardstem bulrush, cattails) was abundant throughout the lake, especially near the islands, bay areas, and peninsulas. Shoalwater substrates consist primarily of sand, detritus, silt, and gravel. A public shore fishing area is located along the northeast shore of Ringo. A public access boat ramp is located along the north side. The immediate watershed consists primarily of wetlands, hardwoods, agricultural row crops, gravel pits, asphalt plant, and residential housing. There were 27 homes located along the Ringo lakeshore in 2014. Several new homes were constructed in a new development area along the northwest corner of the southwest bay during recent years. There are seven inlets that enter Ringo Lake. The largest inlet drains a large cattail marsh area "Ringo-Nest Wildlife Management Area" into Ringo Lake. This connection is a potential watershed breach to the Middle Fork of Crow River Watershed via Nest Lake. Ringo connects to the Henderson outlet via a marsh during high water. The Ringo outlet drains into Long Lake. Water levels were high during 2025. The DNR Spicer Fisheries Office manages Ringo for Walleye, Northern Pike, Bluegill, Yellow Perch and Black…
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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