Roy Lake (Crow Wing County)
Crow Wing County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 18039800
Roy Lake (Crow Wing County) has no DNR stocking rows in LakeFinder; this page carries its DNR depth, access and survey data.
- Roy Lake (Crow Wing County) shows no stocking records in Minnesota DNR LakeFinder as of .
- Maximum depth 26 ft; surface area 320 acres, 129 littoral acres, 5.7 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 15.3 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), and 4 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Crow Wing County, nearest town Nisswa; DNR lake number (DOW) 18039800.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| C | - | Indirect access via channels from Gull Narrows. No direct access. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 25.56 | 230 | 0.13 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 5.33 | 48 | 0.38 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 3.67 | 33 | 0.22 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 3.22 | 29 | 0.88 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 1.33 | 12 | 0.45 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard trap nets | 0.89 | 8 | 4.70 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 0.78 | 7 | 0.41 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 1.23 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 12.00 | 72 | 2.17 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 6.50 | 39 | 0.14 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 4.17 | 25 | 0.20 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.67 | 10 | 0.69 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 1.67 | 10 | 0.30 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 6 | 0.22 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 0.83 | 5 | 0.18 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 4 | 1.15 |
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.
Roy is a small 320 acre lake that is part of the Gull Chain of Lakes and can be accessed through channels from Nisswa Lake and Spider Lake. Roy receives plenty of recreational traffic as boats navigate between Gull and Nisswa Lakes. A special regulation enacted in 2024 requires the immediate release of all Northern Pike between 30 and 40 inches, with a possession limit of two fish and only one allowed over 40 inches on the Gull Chain of Lakes. A standard survey using gill nets and trap nets was conducted in June 2025 to assess fish populations and provide angler information. Anglers looking to get a meal of panfish should be able to accomplish that on Roy, while those looking for trophy panfish should look elsewhere. The Bluegill trap net catch was a little below average for the lake. Bluegills ranged in length from 2.8 to 8.4 inches with an average of 5.9 inches. Bluegill at least 7 inches in length made up 20% of the sample. Growth was average compared to similar lakes with Bluegills reaching 6 inches at age 6. Black Crappies were sampled in below average numbers in both trap nets and in gill nets. Fish ranged in length from 4.5 to 11.9 inches with 77% at least 8 inches in length. The Northern Pike gill net catch was above average for the lake. Fish ranged in length from 10.0 to 33.2 inches with an average of 20.8 inches. Growth was good with Northern Pike reaching 23.7 inches at age 4. Anglers wishing to harvest Northern Pike will find plenty of opportunity on Roy with 97% not in the protected slot. Electrofishing, the preferred method for sampling Largemouth Bass, was not completed in 2025. Anglers can expect a chance at some decent fish based on what was caught in the summer netting. Fish ranging from 5.2 to 18.5 inches were sampled, with 67% measuring at least 12 inches in length. Walleye are not stocked directly into Roy, but Gull Lake receives 2,825,000 fry annually along with occasional fingerling stockings. The 2025 catch of 0.3/gill net was near the lake average (0.5/gill net). Previous catches ranged from 0.0-1.0/gill net. Including Walleye sampled in trap nets fish ranged from 21.5 to 26.3 inches. Most anglers don't target Walleye in Roy but may occasionally catch a bonus one while targeting other species. Other species sampled in the latest survey included Bowfin (Dogfish), Brown Bullhead, Common Carp, Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, White Sucker, Yellow Bullhead, and Yellow Perch.
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.
Hear when the states we cover post stockings
One email a week in season: which waters in the states we cover were stocked, straight from the state agencies' own postings. No spam, no fishing-gear ads in the mail.
Free · double opt-in · unsubscribe anytime · we store only your email.