Rockstad Lake
Clearwater County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 15007500
Rockstad Lake has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- Rockstad Lake shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 18 ft; surface area 142 acres, 122 littoral acres, 2.0 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 3.5 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, northern pike, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Clearwater County, nearest town Zerkel; DNR lake number (DOW) 15007500.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| O | UKN | - NE CORNER OF THE LAKE OFF HWY 200 IN TWP. 144 R.37 SEC 8 IN CLEARWATER COUNTY. |
DNR fish survey, 2014
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 103.25 | 413 | 0.19 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 18.00 | 72 | 0.08 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 12.50 | 50 | 2.29 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 9.25 | 37 | 0.67 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 7.75 | 31 | 0.22 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 5.75 | 23 | 1.51 |
| Golden shiner | Standard gill nets | 4.25 | 17 | 0.04 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard gill nets | 4.00 | 16 | 0.23 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 39.40 | 197 | 0.20 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 11.60 | 58 | 0.09 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 4.20 | 21 | 0.53 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 3.20 | 16 | 0.25 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 2.60 | 13 | 1.30 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 2.00 | 10 | 0.39 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 1.60 | 8 | 1.51 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 1.20 | 6 | 1.45 |
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.
Rockstad Lake is a 128-acre lake with a maximum depth of 18 feet located near the town of Zerkel in southern Clearwater County. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different lake classes based on physical characteristics, water chemistry and fish community. Rockstad is grouped in Lake Class 39. Lakes in this class are typically round, shallow lakes with lots of aquatic vegetation and good productivity. Other Bemidji-area Class 39 lakes include Irving, Three Island, Island, Minerva, and Pine. Rockstad Lake is managed as a periodic winterkill lake, and the fish community present depends on the severity and proximity of the most recent winterkill event. Winterkill lakes are very resilient and can become re-populated with fish within a few years after a winterkill has occurred. Fish can grow very rapidly in these situations and provide quality angling in a brief timeframe as well. Rockstad Lake is managed for Bluegill, Black Crappie, Yellow Perch, and Northern Pike. The 2014 assessment found good numbers and sizes of Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie and Northern Pike. The Bluegill catch rate of 4.2/trap net was typcial for Lake Class 39 lakes. Bluegill had an average size of 8.25 inches in length and 0.53 lbs/fish, which is above average for Lake Class 39 lakes. Growth rates for Bluegill were well above the average growth seen in similar lakes. Given an absence of winterkill conditions, this Bluegill population will provide some quality fishing in 2015 and beyond. Largemouth Bass were captured at rates well above the normal range for similar lakes in both trap nets and gill nets, indicating an abundant bass population. Bass up to 14.76 inches in length were captured with an average size of 13.65 inches and 1.52 lbs/fish. Most of the Largemouth Bass captured were from the same year class (age-3). As with Bluegill, growth rates for Largemouth Bass in Rockstad Lake were faster than growth rates for similar lakes. These fish should continue to grow rapidly and should reproduce in 2015. Black Crappie were caught at a rate of 4/gill net which is above the median catch rate for this lake class (2.5/gill net). However, the Black Crappie catch was dominated by young fish that had an average size of 5.68 inches in length. Growth rates for Black Crappie were well above average, and these fish should provide good angling opportunities within the next few years barring a winterkill. The Northern Pike catch rate of 12.5/gill net was above the normal range for this lake class (4.63/gill net to 11.63/gill net).…
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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