Stocking Lake (Wadena County)
Wadena County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 80003700
DNR records show 10 stocking entries at Stocking Lake (Wadena County) since 2018, most recently walleye yearlings in 2025 (612 fish).
- Stocking Lake (Wadena County) has 10 DNR stocking records across 6 years (2018-2025): walleye (7), largemouth bass (2), bluegill sunfish (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 10,817 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 22 ft, mean depth 7 ft; surface area 362 acres, 326 littoral acres, 4.2 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 7.8 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, and 3 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Wadena County, nearest town Menahga; DNR lake number (DOW) 80003700.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | yearlings | 612 | 254.8 |
| 2025 | Walleye | fingerlings | 168 | 12.0 |
| 2023 | Largemouth Bass | adults | 48 | 48.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fingerlings | 6,988 | 162.0 |
| 2022 | Bluegill Sunfish | adults | 68 | 17.0 |
| 2022 | Largemouth Bass | adults | 45 | 88.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | adults | 221 | 99.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fingerlings | 2,211 | 169.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye | yearlings | 197 | 21.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | yearlings | 420 | 220.0 |
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 | DNR access located on the east shore. |
DNR fish survey, 2021
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 28.75 | 230 | 0.15 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 17.00 | 136 | 0.32 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 16.62 | 133 | 0.32 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 10.88 | 87 | 1.87 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 2.38 | 19 | 0.14 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 1.38 | 11 | 2.15 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.12 | 9 | 0.67 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 1.12 | 9 | 0.81 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 11.22 | 101 | 0.18 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 7.67 | 69 | 0.16 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 4.22 | 38 | 0.31 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 2.67 | 24 | 0.24 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 1.44 | 13 | 2.08 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 9 | 0.11 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 0.36 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 1.22 |
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.
Stocking Lake is located two miles east of Menahga in northern Wadena County. Stocking Lake is a shallow lake and has a surface area of 357 acres and a maximum depth of 22 feet. There is a state-owned public access located on the east shore of the lake. Stocking provides angling opportunities for Panfish, Northern Pike, and Walleye. Since 1975, the Stocking Lake Association has operated two aeration systems to help prevent oxygen depletion and winterkill. Winter anglers should be aware of these open water areas that are maintained during the winter months. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. Stocking is in lake class 39. Class 39 lakes are characterized as being shallow and have a large littoral area (water depth less than 15 feet). Other class 39 lakes in the Park Rapids management area include: First Crow Wing, Fourth Crow Wing, Portage, and Upper Twin. Panfish are a popular choice for anglers on Stocking Lake. Panfish populations in Stocking Lake have fluctuated from low to high numbers over the years. Black Crappies were found in very high numbers in 2021, with most fish ranging in size from 7.5 - 9.5 inches in length. Bluegill were sampled in moderate numbers, with fish up to 8.5 inches in length. Pumpkinseed were also sampled in moderate numbers. Anglers can expect to find an abundant Northern Pike population, with very few large pike. Northern Pike ranged from 12 - 28 inches in length and were spread evenly throughout this size range. Walleye numbers were low, and below all but one past survey. All sampled Walleye were 11-15 inches in length. Yellow Perch, an important forage species for walleye, were sampled in good numbers. Sampled Yellow Perch were small for anglers, with most fish 5.5 - 8 inches. Currently, no Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) have been identified in Stocking Lake. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boats before leaving the access.
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.