Sybil Lake
Otter Tail County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 56038700
DNR records show 11 stocking entries at Sybil Lake since 2017, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2025 (3,000 fish).
- Sybil Lake has 11 DNR stocking records across 9 years (2017-2025): walleye (11).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 57,765 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 74 ft; surface area 683 acres, 423 littoral acres, 9.2 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 14.8 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, tullibee (cisco), and 4 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Otter Tail County, nearest town Vergas; DNR lake number (DOW) 56038700.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 8/2/1978 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 3,000 | 150.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 7,650 | 423.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 2,000 | 100.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fingerlings | 23,066 | 846.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | adults | 1,346 | 354.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye | yearlings | 1,491 | 422.0 |
| 2019 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 2,500 | 140.4 |
| 2018 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 8,189 | 423.7 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fingerlings | 1,937 | 126.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | adults | 1,003 | 461.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | yearlings | 5,583 | 266.0 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups. 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 |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 35.58 | 427 | 0.10 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 3.50 | 42 | 0.21 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 1.33 | 16 | 0.32 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 1.17 | 14 | 0.94 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 0.83 | 10 | 0.30 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 0.75 | 9 | 0.55 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.42 | 5 | 0.08 |
| Walleye | Standard trap nets | 0.42 | 5 | 2.74 |
| Black crappie | Special trap nets | 14.00 | 98 | 0.61 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 11.33 | 102 | 0.37 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 10.44 | 94 | 0.20 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 9.22 | 83 | 0.08 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 7.33 | 66 | 1.97 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 4.44 | 40 | 1.80 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 4.00 | 36 | 0.76 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 2.22 | 20 | 1.29 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 0.56 | 5 | 0.36 |
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.
Sybil Lake is a 706-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in north-central Otter Tail County approximately four miles south of Vergas, MN. Sybil Lake is connected to Loon Lake via an unnavigable inlet along the west shoreline. Sybil Lake is part of the Otter Tail River Watershed. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. Sybil Lake has a maximum depth of 74 feet; however, 60% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. The secchi disk reading during the 2025 survey was 15.0 feet. Previous secchi disk readings range from 10.8 to 18.0 feet. Moderate development exists along the shoreline of Sybil Lake. Homes and cottages compose the majority of the development, and a resort is located on the east shoreline. A DNR owned public water access is located on the south shoreline of the lake. Shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand and gravel with some areas of rubble. Emergent vegetation (hardstem bulrush and common cattail) is located primarily in the southwest basin and along the eastern shoreline. These areas provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat and are critical for maintaining good water quality. Emergent plants provide spawning areas for fish such as Northern Pike, Black Crappie, Bluegill, and Largemouth Bass. They also serve as important nursery areas for all species of fish. Because of their important ecological value, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. To maintain the excellent angling this lake has to offer it is imperative to preserve the quality of the aquatic habitat. Sybil Lake can be ecologically classified as a bass-panfish-Walleye type of lake, and this is reflected in the assemblage of the fish community. Walleye, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, and Bluegill are the dominant gamefish species present. The Walleye population continues to be abundant. The 2020-year class is strong and should provide good Walleye angling for several years. Walleyes ranged in length from 7.7 to 23.8 inches with an average length and weight of 16.8 inches and 1.8 pounds. Walleyes attain an average length of 15.9 inches at four years of age. MN DNR Fisheries maintains the Walleye population at a viable level by stocking Walleye fingerlings on an every-other-year basis. The Sybil Lake Association supplements MN DNR stocking with periodic Walleye fingerling stocking. Northern Pike abundance is moderate. Northern Pike size structure has consistently remained poor. Pike ranged in length from 18.0 to 29.5 inches with an average length and weight of…
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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