Split Rock Reservoir
Pipestone County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 59000100
DNR records show 4 stocking entries at Split Rock Reservoir since 2016, most recently bluegill sunfish adults in 2025 (945 fish).
- Split Rock Reservoir has 4 DNR stocking records across 4 years (2016-2025): bluegill sunfish (4).
- The most-stocked species by count is bluegill sunfish: 2,815 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 16 ft; surface area 96 acres, 79 littoral acres, 3.5 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 2.0 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, northern pike, orangespotted sunfish, pumpkinseed, white sucker, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Pipestone County, nearest town Pipestone; DNR lake number (DOW) 59000100.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Bluegill Sunfish | adults | 945 | 63.0 |
| 2023 | Bluegill Sunfish | adults | 978 | 90.0 |
| 2021 | Bluegill Sunfish | adults | 400 | 94.0 |
| 2016 | Bluegill Sunfish | adults | 492 | 82.0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | STATE OWNED BOAT ACCESS ON WEST SIDE IN SPLIT ROCK STATE PARK - STATE OWNED BOAT ACCESS ON WEST SIDE; IN SPLIT ROCK STATE PARK |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 142.00 | 142 | 0.48 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 78.00 | 78 | 0.15 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 28.00 | 28 | 0.13 |
| Common carp | Standard gill nets | 15.00 | 15 | 2.17 |
| Orangespotted sunfish | Standard gill nets | 4.00 | 4 | 0.04 |
| Channel catfish | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 2 | 1.86 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 1 | 1.32 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 1.00 | 1 | 0.10 |
| Orangespotted sunfish | Standard trap nets | 80.83 | 485 | 0.01 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 41.17 | 247 | 0.06 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 19.33 | 116 | 0.18 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 3.33 | 20 | 0.41 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 3.00 | 18 | 0.17 |
| Common carp | Standard trap nets | 2.83 | 17 | 1.48 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 1.83 | 11 | 0.10 |
| Green sunfish | Standard trap nets | 1.67 | 10 | 0.06 |
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.
Split Rock Lake is an impoundment created by a dam on Split Rock Creek constructed in 1938. This reservoir is located entirely within the boundaries of Split Rock State Park near Ihlen in Pipestone County. It has a surface area of 80 acres, a maximum depth of 16 feet, Secchi depth of 2.5 feet, and is a class 42 lake. Pipestone County does not have a "natural" lake, however Split Rock Lake is one of four reservoirs that fisheries has interest in. To increase angling opportunities in the area, a shoreline fishing pier is maintained on the northwest corner of the reservoir. The lake is managed primarily for Yellow Perch, Bluegill, and Black Crappie with no secondary management species. Due to the presence of Topeka Shiner, an endangered species, within Split Rock Creek, a memorandum of understanding is in place between the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to only stock Bluegill within Topeka Shiner Watersheds. To evaluate fish populations and management goals an assessment utilizing one gill net and six trap nets was conducted during the week of July 7, 2025. The Black Crappie catch rate in 2025 was 19.3 per trap net which is high compared to similar lakes. The 2025 catch rate increased from the 2013 rate of 15.7 per trap net and is approaching the long-term average of 21.3 per trap net. Lengths of Black Crappie sampled in trap nets ranged from 4.2 inches to 11.9 inches with a mean length of 6.5 inches. Growth of these fish was very good based on an overall relative weight (Wr) of 106. Although no aging of Black Crappie was done, length frequency groupings appear to indicate at least three-year classes. Bluegill catch rates have been highly variable, ranging from 0.4 per trap net in 1987 to 19.0 per trap net in 1997. The Bluegill catch rate in 2025 was 1.8 per trap net, which is just below the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (1.9 to 29.5 per trap net). Declining bluegill populations appear to be directly related to elevated common carp catches since 1997, along with the lack of submergent vegetation associated with poor water clarity. Bluegill typically thrives in clear water systems with abundant vegetation, conditions that are likely lacking in Split Rock Reservoir since Common Carp abundance increased. Lengths for bluegill from trap nets ranged from 3.9 to 6.5 inches with a mean length of 5.1 inches. Yellow Perch abundance continued to be low, as the catch rate has been 3.0 per gill net or less since 1997 and was 1.0 per gill net in the 2025 survey. Like Bluegill, Yellow Perch…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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