South Center Lake
Chisago County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 13002700
DNR records show 8 stocking entries at South Center Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2024 (936 fish).
- South Center Lake has 8 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2016-2024): walleye (8).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 68,735 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 109 ft; surface area 910 acres, 561 littoral acres, 12.1 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 3.9 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, and 2 more.
- 3 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Chisago County, nearest town Lindstrom; DNR lake number (DOW) 13002700.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 6/10/1970 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 936 | 39.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fingerlings | 3,779 | 570.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye | yearlings | 284 | 159.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 1,963 | 151.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 24,786 | 729.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 13,851 | 729.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 13,487 | 729.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 9,649 | 561.0 |
2 fish purchased by the DNR for stocking.
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 | Southwest part of lake off County 25. |
| O | UKN | - Navigable access from North Center Lake through cement box culvert in outlet channel under US HWY 8. |
| concrete ramp | PRI | - Whispering Bay Resort. Fee required. South shore of the southeast bay of lake. |
DNR fish survey, 2023
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 62.92 | 755 | 0.06 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 6.67 | 80 | 0.30 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.75 | 21 | 0.20 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.75 | 9 | 6.11 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 8 | 0.87 |
| Common carp | Standard trap nets | 0.58 | 7 | 8.04 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 0.42 | 5 | 3.44 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard trap nets | 0.42 | 5 | 3.68 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 57.43 | 67 | 1.81 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 26.92 | 323 | 0.12 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 8.42 | 101 | 0.22 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 2.83 | 34 | 1.20 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 2.75 | 33 | 0.16 |
| Golden shiner | Standard gill nets | 1.33 | 16 | 0.13 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 0.75 | 9 | 0.41 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 6 | 0.27 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 0.17 | 2 | 7.28 |
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.
South Center Lake is an 835 acre lake in southern Chisago County best suited for Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, and Black Crappie. Although much of the lake is less than 15 feet (561 acres or 67%), the lake has a maximum depth of 109 feet. Water clarity is low, with visibility to only 3 feet. A high amount of shoreline and watershed development is present, that includes 332 lake homes. The lake is a popular fishing and boating destination and receives use from all types of recreational users. The public access is often at capacity. In 2023, a fisheries lake survey was conducted that consisted of night electrofishing for Largemouth Bass on May 16 and gill and trap netting from August 7 to 11 to evaluate the fish population. The previous fish survey on South Center Lake was conducted in 2019. Spring nighttime electrofishing sampled 67 Largemouth Bass. Lakes in the Chisago Chain commonly produce bass electrofishing catch rates in excess of 100 fish per hour. The catch rate of 57 per hour in 2023 compares to 51 per hour in 2019. Bass ranged from 7.8 to 19.9 inches with a 14.3 inch average. The average weight of bass was 1.6 pounds. Bass over 14 inches included 50 percent of the total catch. Aging evaluation identified ten year classes. Anglers should catch good numbers of moderate sized bass. The Northern Pike gill net (0.2/net) and trap net (0.8/net) catch rates were low for the lake and similar area lakes. Pike sampled in gill and trap nets ranged from 18.5 to 34.3 inches. Average weights were 7.3 and 6.1 pounds in gill and trap nets, respectively. Although numbers were low, average size exceeded that of most area lakes. Angler concern over declines in pike quality led to a public meeting for South Center in the fall of 2002. The consensus was to implement a 24 to 36-inch protected slot limit starting in 2003. This regulation remains in place today. The Black Crappie catch rate of 8.4/gill net, was above average compared to similar area lakes. Angling pressure for crappies is heaviest in winter and early spring. Overall crappies ranged from 4.4 to 12.2 inches in trap nets and 5.2 to 9.5 inches in gill nets. Average lengths were 8.0 and 7.4 inches in trap and gill nets, respectively. Twenty-three percent of crappies exceeded 8 inches. Only seven Walleyes were captured during the 2023 survey compared to 48 in 2019. The gill net catch rate decreased from 2.4/net in 2019 to 0.2/net in 2023. Walleye sampled in gill and trap nets ranged from 12.7 to 26.3 inches. Currently, Walleye fingerlings are stocked at a rate of 729 pounds in even years. 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.
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