Summit Lake (Cottonwood County)
Cottonwood County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 17007300
DNR records show 10 stocking entries at Summit Lake (Cottonwood County) since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (325,000 fish).
- Summit Lake (Cottonwood County) has 10 DNR stocking records across 9 years (2016-2025): walleye (9), northern pike (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 2,925,140 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 10 ft; surface area 64 acres, 64 littoral acres, 1.3 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Cottonwood County, nearest town Windom; DNR lake number (DOW) 17007300.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey (get source); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 325,000 | 3.1 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 325,000 | 3.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 325,000 | 2.8 |
| 2022 | Northern Pike | fingerlings | 264 | 4.4 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 325,000 | 3.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 325,000 | 3.1 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 325,000 | 2.8 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 325,000 | 3.1 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 325,000 | 2.7 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 325,140 | 3.0 |
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 ACCESS ON EAST SIDE OF LAKE |
DNR fish survey, 2000
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 190.11 | 1,711 | 0.24 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 74.33 | 669 | 0.04 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 26.44 | 238 | 0.07 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 4.33 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 2.92 |
| White sucker | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 2.09 |
| Black bullhead | Survey seining | 3.50 | 7 | 0.00 |
| White crappie | Survey seining | 1.00 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Bluegill | Survey seining | 0.50 | 1 | 0.00 |
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.
Summit Lake is an 80 acre lake with a maximum depth of 10 feet and is located near the city of Windom in Cottonwood County. The lake is presently managed for largemouth bass as the primary species while bluegill and walleye are managed secondarily. The lake was reclaimed in 1992 and restocked with largemouth bass, bluegill, and walleye in 1993. Unauthorized stocking resulted in additional fish species present in 1996 and 2000. The lake is susceptible to algae blooms and winterkill since the addition of black bullhead in Summit. Because of low oxygen levels in the lake during the winter of 2000-01, the following status of the fishery may likely have changed drastically. The largemouth bass electrofishing catch rate was 12.7 in 2000 compared to 30.0 in 1996. Lengths ranged from 12.2 to 16.0 inches and averaged 19.6 inches. Year classes from 1995 through 2000 were not collected during the assessment indicating minimal natural reproduction. The bluegill trapnet catch rate of 26.4 was high for lakes similar to Summit. The bluegill trapnet catch rate was 16.6 in 1996. Lengths of bluegill ranged from 3.9 to 8.7 inches and averaged 5.8 inches. The bluegill population was dominated by age 2 fish (84% of the fish collected). The black crappie trapnet catch rate of 74.3 was high for lakes similar to Summit . The black crappie trapnet catch rate was 2.3 in 1996. Lengths ranged from 4.9 to 10.9 inches and averaged 6.4 inches. Year classes from 1995 through 1998 were collected during the survey. The population was dominated by age 2 fish (77% of the fish collected). The black bullhead trapnet catch rate of 190.1 was high for lakes similar to Summit. The black bullhead CPUE was 25.2 in 196. Lengths of black bullhead ranged from 4.6 to 11.8 and averaged 9.5 inches. Two northern pike and zero walleye were collected during the assessment. To promote and maintain a healthy fish population, pollution and other inputs need to be controlled. Fish habitat is directly affected by water quality. Nutrient, sediment and other waste inputs can drastically alter the chemical and physical components of a lake. It is paramount to maintain if not improve the current water quality of Summit Lake through watershed management to preserve this fishery for future generations to enjoy.
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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