Turtle Lake (Becker County)
Becker County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 03065700
DNR records show 8 stocking entries at Turtle Lake (Becker County) since 2018, most recently black crappie adults in 2025 (1,700 fish).
- Turtle Lake (Becker County) has 8 DNR stocking records across 6 years (2018-2025): walleye (6), black crappie (2).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 420,000 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 73 ft; surface area 196 acres, 70 littoral acres, 2.5 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, brown bullhead, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, white sucker, and 2 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Becker County, nearest town Lake Park; DNR lake number (DOW) 03065700.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 6/20/1964 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Black Crappie1 | adults | 1,700 | 170.0 |
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 70,000 | 0.7 |
| 2024 | Black Crappie1 | adults | 1,850 | 185.0 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 70,000 | 0.7 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 70,000 | 0.6 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 70,000 | 0.6 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 70,000 | 0.6 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 70,000 | 0.6 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups.
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 | East shore of north central bay. - Parking available for approximately two or three rigs. |
DNR fish survey, 2020
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 14.17 | 85 | 1.38 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 13.17 | 79 | 0.41 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard gill nets | 6.17 | 37 | 0.52 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 3.17 | 19 | 1.16 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 3.00 | 18 | 0.42 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 2.83 | 17 | 0.70 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 2.50 | 15 | 2.96 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.17 | 7 | 0.37 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 9.62 | 77 | 0.30 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 7.75 | 62 | 0.61 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 5.00 | 40 | 0.48 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 2.38 | 19 | 0.46 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 1.75 | 14 | 0.67 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 1.25 | 10 | 1.24 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 1.00 | 8 | 0.19 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.12 | 1 | 0.48 |
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.
Turtle Lake is a 196-acre lake located in western Becker County. The lake possesses a heavily developed shoreline and receives significant recreational use and angling pressure. Lake survey assessments are completed periodically on Turtle Lake to highlight and track changes in species presence and abundance over time. Walleye are stocked biennially in Turtle Lake. Walleye catch rates have been variable in this lake since initial surveying in 1964. The 2020 mean catch rate was one Walleye per net, similar to what was observed in 2014. Sampled Walleye ranged in length from 17.8 to 24.9 inches, averaging 20.6 inches. Size distribution of sampled Walleye indicate a population dominated by large, older fish. Gill net catch rates of Northern Pike have increased in Turtle Lake over the last several decades, likely as a result of several high water years leading to improved pike spawning habitat. On average, about 14 pike were caught per net in the 2020 survey. Sampled pike ranged in length from 10.4 to 30.9 inches, averaging 18.1 inches long. The average catch rate of Yellow Perch has fallen below three perch per gill net in the last three surveys, a large decline since the 2001 survey. No Yellow Perch were sampled in the 2020 survey, indicative of very low perch abundance in recent years. In the 2020 survey Bluegill were found to be in low abundance. Bluegill ranged in length from 2.8 to 9.4 inches, with a mean length of 6.7 inches. An average eight inch Bluegill was found to be 7 to 8 years old. Black Crappie ranged in length from 4.8 to 11.3 inches, while Largemouth Bass caught during the survey ranged in length from 5.7 to 17.6 inches. Additional species sampled in 2020 included Bullhead, hybrid sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, and White Sucker. Bullhead and Rock Bass were caught in modest numbers. Hybrid sunfish were found to range in length from 3.8 to 9.5 inches and averaged 8.3 inches long. Anglers can help to maintain Turtle Lake's valuable fishery by voluntarily releasing a portion of medium-large size fish and harvesting smaller fish for eating, specifically Northern Pike and Bluegill. Shoreline owners can help to maintain or improve water quality and fish habitat by leaving shoreline buffer zones, by leaving stands of native aquatic vegetation intact, by taking precautions to prevent invasive species introductions, and by using wise land management practices.
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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