Straight Lake
Becker County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 03001000
DNR records show 5 stocking entries at Straight Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2024 (2,185 fish).
- Straight Lake has 5 DNR stocking records across 5 years (2016-2024): walleye (5).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 37,755 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 63 ft, mean depth 15 ft; surface area 471 acres, 178 littoral acres, 9.8 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 7.6 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, tullibee (cisco), walleye, and 3 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Becker County, nearest town Osage; DNR lake number (DOW) 03001000.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 9/24/1965 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | fingerlings | 2,185 | 356.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 6,735 | 355.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 8,875 | 355.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 11,106 | 356.3 |
| 2016 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 8,854 | 355.0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | State-owned public access located on the south shore. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 42.40 | 53 | 1.48 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 21.75 | 174 | 0.14 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.75 | 14 | 0.24 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 1.62 | 13 | 0.23 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 1.50 | 12 | 0.34 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.88 | 7 | 0.07 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.62 | 5 | 0.87 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.62 | 5 | 0.20 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 0.50 | 4 | 0.32 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 17.89 | 161 | 0.20 |
| Tullibee (cisco) | Standard gill nets | 14.44 | 130 | 0.72 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 12.33 | 111 | 0.31 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 9.89 | 89 | 0.08 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 9.33 | 84 | 3.16 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 7.11 | 64 | 2.31 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 5.00 | 45 | 1.93 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 2.00 | 18 | 0.99 |
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.
Straight Lake (DOW # 03-0010-00) is located in Osage, in eastern Becker County. Straight lake has a surface area of 471 acres and a maximum depth of 63 feet. There is a state-owned public access located on the south shore of the lake off Hwy 34. Straight Lake provides fishing opportunities for Walleye, Northern pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. Straight Lake is in Lake Class 25. Lake Class 25 lakes generally have a very high percentage of littoral area (depths less than 15 feet), with very irregularly shaped shoreline. Other Lake Class 25 lakes in the Park Rapids management area include: Bad Axe, Belle Taine, Eagle, Island, Little Mantrap, Little Sand, Mantrap, Ojibway, Spider, Third Crow Wing, Two Inlets, and West Crooked. Walleye abundance remained stable from the previous survey and was abundant compared to other Lake Class 25 lakes. The average length and weight of Walleye were 17.1 inches and 1.93 pounds, with fish sampled up to 25.2 inches. Yellow Perch are an important forage for Walleye and Northern Pike. Yellow Perch abundance was down from previous surveys and the lowest on record, but comparable to other Lake Class 25 lakes. However, Yellow Perch were small with an average length of 5.8 inches, and no perch were sampled over 7 inches. Northern Pike abundance was on the higher side compared to similar lakes. The average length and weight of Northern Pike has increased from past surveys to 24.0 inches and 3.16 pounds. The largest Northern Pike sampled was 34.2 inches. For the first time ever, a Muskellunge was sampled during the lake survey while there have been some reports of anglers catching them in the past. Straight Lake has been a popular lake for panfish, especially during the winter. Angling opportunities include Black Crappie and Bluegill. Black Crappie abundance was high but fish were smaller in size with an average length of 7.6 inches, but anglers can find acceptable sized Black Crappies in the 9-11.5-inch range. Most Bluegill sampled were 4-7 inches with some sampled over 9 inches. There is a Tullibee sport gill netting season in December on Straight Lake. They are an important forage species for larger Walleye and Northern Pike. Tullibee abundance was the highest ever recorded with an average length of 11.6 inches, with fish sampled up to 18.0 inches. Other species sampled include Brown Bullhead, Golden Shiner, Hybrid Sunfish, Rock Bass, White Sucker, and Yellow…
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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