Stella Lake
Meeker County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 47006800
DNR records show 5 stocking entries at Stella Lake since 2017, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (112,497 fish).
- Stella Lake has 5 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2017-2025): walleye (5).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 684,153 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 75 ft, mean depth 14 ft; surface area 599 acres, 226 littoral acres, 4.7 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 5.9 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, walleye, and 3 more.
- 3 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Meeker County, nearest town Darwin; DNR lake number (DOW) 47006800.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 10/3/1994 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 112,497 | 1.1 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 114,394 | 1.1 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 116,532 | 1.1 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 114,730 | 1.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 226,000 | 2.1 |
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 access on south side of lake. |
| gravel ramp | UKN | Unknown ownership and parking for one rig on E side. |
| CU | county |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 17.22 | 155 | 0.71 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 8.00 | 72 | 0.14 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 7.11 | 64 | 1.97 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 6.11 | 55 | 2.90 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 4.44 | 40 | 0.27 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.89 | 17 | 2.02 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 1.44 | 13 | 0.86 |
| Common carp | Standard gill nets | 1.22 | 11 | 1.33 |
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.
Stella is a moderate-sized lake (599 acres) located south of the Town of Darwin in Meeker County. A state-owned access with paved parking and a double cement boat ramp is present on the south shore. Stella has almost five miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of seventy-five feet. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has divided Minnesota's lakes into 44 different classes based on physical and chemical characteristics. Stella is a class 27 lake and another similar waterbody in the Hutchinson Fisheries Management Area is Minnie-Belle Lake in Meeker County. Stella's 2021 lake management plan listed Walleye, Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass as primary management species, while Black Crappie and Northern Pike were secondary species. Netting was completed in 2025 to monitor the fish population and evaluate the 2019 Walleye stocking regime (500 Spicer strain fry per littoral acre every other year). Moderate numbers of Walleye were gill netted in 2025, and size was respectable. Walleye averaged almost 17 inches in length. The longest Walleye sampled was 26 inches. Low numbers of both Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass were netted in 2025, but bass often sample better using electrofishing gear - sampling which was not done this year. Maximum length for Smallmouth Bass was an impressive 19 inches. The longest Largemouth Bass was 16 inches in length. Low to moderate numbers of Black Crappie were netted, but maximum length was an amazing 14 inches. Moderate numbers of Northern Pike were gill netted this year with fish averaging a noteworthy 24 inches in length. The longest pike netted was 31 inches. Northern Pike regulations were revised at a statewide level beginning in 2018 to better accommodate regional differences in pike habitats, population abundances and size structures. Three management zones were established for Northern Pike, with their own bag limit and length limit restrictions. In the north-central zone, where Stella Lake is found, anglers can keep ten Northern Pike, but only two can be over 26 inches in length. All pike between 22 and 26 inches must be released immediately. This zone regulation is meant to increase Northern Pike size structure (more bigger fish) and to decrease the number of small fish - an attempt to restore balance to the population. The regulation will be evaluated on a state-wide basis after 2028. Additional fishes sampled in the 2025 nets included Black Bullhead, Bluegill, Bowfin, Brown Bullhead, Common Carp, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, White Sucker, Yellow Bullhead and Yellow Perch. People can have…
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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