Smith Lake (Douglas County)
Douglas County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 21001600
DNR records show 9 stocking entries at Smith Lake (Douglas County) since 2017, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (182,000 fish).
- Smith Lake (Douglas County) has 9 DNR stocking records across 7 years (2017-2025): walleye (9).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 928,522 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 30 ft, mean depth 15 ft; surface area 666 acres, 364 littoral acres, 6.0 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 3.3 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, and 3 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Douglas County, nearest town Nelson; DNR lake number (DOW) 21001600.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/17/1952 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 182,000 | 1.7 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 182,000 | 1.6 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 182,000 | 1.6 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 364,000 | 3.3 |
| 2021 | Walleye | adults | 642 | 574.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fingerlings | 14,429 | 728.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fingerlings | 3,063 | 333.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | adults | 330 | 362.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | yearlings | 58 | 33.0 |
Public accesses
| Type | Owner | Where |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | Located on north east side off Smith Lake Road SE |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Backpack electrofishing | 46.95 | 22 | 0.00 |
| BKF | Backpack electrofishing | 21.34 | 10 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | Backpack electrofishing | 19.21 | 9 | 0.00 |
| Johnny darter | Backpack electrofishing | 6.40 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Iowa darter | Backpack electrofishing | 4.27 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Black crappie | Backpack electrofishing | 2.13 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | Backpack electrofishing | 2.13 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Green sunfish | Backpack electrofishing | 2.13 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | 50-ft beach seine | 33.60 | 168 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | 50-ft beach seine | 10.40 | 52 | 0.00 |
| Blacknose shiner | 50-ft beach seine | 8.60 | 43 | 0.00 |
| Pumpkinseed | 50-ft beach seine | 8.40 | 42 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | 50-ft beach seine | 2.00 | 10 | 0.00 |
| Black crappie | 50-ft beach seine | 0.80 | 4 | 0.00 |
| Northern pike | 50-ft beach seine | 0.60 | 3 | 0.00 |
| BKF | 50-ft beach seine | 0.40 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | 15-ft beach seine | 8.20 | 41 | 0.00 |
| Golden shiner | 15-ft beach seine | 2.80 | 14 | 0.00 |
| Blacknose shiner | 15-ft beach seine | 2.20 | 11 | 0.00 |
| Largemouth bass | 15-ft beach seine | 1.20 | 6 | 0.00 |
| BKF | 15-ft beach seine | 0.60 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | 15-ft beach seine | 0.40 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Northern pike | 15-ft beach seine | 0.40 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Hybrid sunfish | 15-ft beach seine | 0.20 | 1 | 0.00 |
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.
This nearshore survey was conducted during summer 2024 to assess populations of non-game species and small game fish using backpack electrofishing and seining. Backpack electrofishing and/or seining were conducted at 14 stations, representing a variety of habitat types, along the shoreline of Smith Lake. The survey was conducted during the five-year sampling window for intensive monitoring efforts within the Sauk River watershed, and will be contributing to a watershed assessment process in coordination with Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Sixteen species were collected during this survey. Three species (Banded Killifish, Blacknose Shiner, and Iowa Darter) were considered "intolerant" and one species (Green Sunfish) was considered "tolerant" based on current tolerance classifications for Minnesota lakes. Nearshore catch data will be used along with gill and trap net catch data to develop an Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) score, which is indicative of the health of Smith Lake.
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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