Traverse Lake
Traverse County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 78002500
DNR records show 4 stocking entries at Traverse Lake since 2017, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (6,000,000 fish).
- Traverse Lake has 4 DNR stocking records across 4 years (2017-2025): walleye (4).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 24,500,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 12 ft, mean depth 9 ft; surface area 10,849 acres, 10,848 littoral acres, 78.6 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 4.3 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bigmouth buffalo, black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, channel catfish, common carp, crappie, freshwater drum, golden redhorse, greater redhorse, green sunfish, and 17 more.
- 8 public accesses on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Traverse County, nearest town Browns Valley; DNR lake number (DOW) 78002500.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 7/16/1958 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye7 | fry | 6,000,000 | 50.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 6,500,000 | 53.2 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 6,000,000 | 50.6 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 6,000,000 | 51.4 |
7 fish cooperatively purchased, raised, and/or stocked by State of South Dakota.
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 | BST | Waldo Area. SDGFP concrete ramp and dock. Located 13 miles NE of Sisseton; SD off County Hwy 7. |
| earthen ramp | BST | Diamond Area. SDGFP gravel ramp. Located 17 miles NE of Sisseton; SD off County Hwy 7. Walk-in access only. |
| concrete ramp | Army Corps of Engineers | Mustinka River Access; concrete ramp and dock located 2 miles south and 5 miles west of Wheaton; MN off MN Hwy 117 (0.5 mile upstream from the lake; Corps of Engineers access). |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | Bill Halls Access. Concrete ramp and dock located 6 miles south and 8 miles west of Wheaton; MN off State Hwy 27. |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | Rainbow Island Access; concrete ramp and dock. Located 8 miles NE of Browns Valley; MN off State Hwy 27. |
| concrete ramp | county | Traverse County Park Access; concrete ramp and dock. Located 5 miles NE of Browns Valley; MN off State Hwy 27. |
| concrete ramp | Minnesota DNR | Traverse Lake Access; concrete ramp and dock. Located 1 mile NE of Browns Valley; MN off State Hwy 27. |
| concrete ramp | BST | Jensen Island Access. SDGFP concrete ramp and dock located 11 miles NE of Sisseton; SD off County Hwy 7 behind Jensen Island. |
DNR fish survey, 2025
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Special seining | 340.00 | 1,360 | 0.00 |
| White bass | Special seining | 27.00 | 108 | 0.00 |
| CRP | Special seining | 12.50 | 50 | 0.00 |
| Freshwater drum | Special seining | 11.50 | 46 | 0.00 |
| Fathead minnow | Special seining | 3.50 | 14 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | Special seining | 1.75 | 7 | 0.00 |
| Johnny darter | Special seining | 1.00 | 4 | 0.00 |
| Walleye | Special seining | 0.75 | 3 | 0.00 |
| White bass | Fall electrofishing | 158.00 | 158 | 0.00 |
| Freshwater drum | Fall electrofishing | 154.00 | 154 | 0.00 |
| Walleye | Fall electrofishing | 77.00 | 77 | 0.00 |
| SUN | Fall electrofishing | 61.00 | 61 | 0.00 |
| OTM | Fall electrofishing | 35.00 | 35 | 0.00 |
| OTS | Fall electrofishing | 29.00 | 29 | 0.00 |
| CRP | Fall electrofishing | 16.00 | 16 | 0.00 |
| Common carp | Fall electrofishing | 6.00 | 6 | 0.00 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 25.33 | 152 | 0.40 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 16.00 | 96 | 1.19 |
| Freshwater drum | Standard gill nets | 6.83 | 41 | 1.56 |
| Common carp | Standard gill nets | 6.33 | 38 | 5.31 |
| Channel catfish | Standard gill nets | 6.33 | 38 | 7.89 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 4.83 | 29 | 1.97 |
| White bass | Standard gill nets | 4.83 | 29 | 1.15 |
| Shorthead redhorse | Standard gill nets | 4.50 | 27 | 2.04 |
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.
Traverse Lake is in western Minnesota, north of Browns Valley on the Minnesota-South Dakota border. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks co-manage the fishery and Border Waters fishing regulations apply. The lake is 16 miles long, up to two miles wide, 11,528 acres and it has a maximum depth of 12 feet. A contour map should be studied before boating because many shallow reefs and points exist, especially near the islands and in the northwest portion of the lake. Walleyes, bluegills, channel catfish, crappies, freshwater drum, northern pike, smallmouth bass and white bass are the primary game fish anglers target. This 2025 Targeted Survey was conducted to collect routine fish population data using gill nets, seining and night electrofishing. These data can be compared to historical Standard and Targeted Survey data from Traverse Lake. Traverse Lake has been a good walleye fishery for many years. Walleye were abundant in 2025 and from a wide range of sizes, with many 13-15 inches. Walleyes grow fast in Traverse Lake and they can reach 16 inches in their third summer. Natural reproduction has been primarily responsible for maintaining the walleye population during recent years, with fry stocking making a lesser contribution. Yellow perch numbers have been stable over the last few years and anglers have been reporting better fishing for them. Many of the perch were decent sized in 2025, measuring over 10 inches. Perch grow fast in Traverse Lake but few live past their fourth summer, likely due to angler harvest and natural causes of mortality. Bluegill numbers began to increase in Traverse Lake around 2000. At times, anglers find them near rock reefs and weed lines. They grow fast and fish up to 10 inches were present in the 2025 survey. High numbers of young bluegills have frequently been present, but most of them are likely eaten by walleyes, northern pike and white bass due to limited cover. As vegetation continues to increase in the lake, the bluegill population may expand. Lake Traverse has a trophy channel catfish population with high numbers of large fish. Catfish up to 32 inches were found in the 2025 survey. A relatively low number of black and white crappies were present, however, reports of good crappie fishing have increased during recent years, with anglers catching some over 13 inches. Northern pike numbers have increased during recent years. Pike naturally reproduce in Traverse Lake and its tributaries. They can also migrate into Traverse Lake from Mud Lake during high flows. The…
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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