West Crooked Lake
Hubbard County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 29010103
DNR records show 11 stocking entries at West Crooked Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2024 (887 fish).
- West Crooked Lake has 11 DNR stocking records across 7 years (2016-2024): walleye (11).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 7,446 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 50 ft; surface area 270 acres, 142 littoral acres, 4.9 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 16.2 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, yellow bullhead, yellow perch.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (standard survey).
- Hubbard County, nearest town Nevis; DNR lake number (DOW) 29010103.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 6/18/1962 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | fingerlings | 887 | 140.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fingerlings | 4,408 | 140.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye | adults | 40 | 25.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye | adults | 152 | 42.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye | yearlings | 86 | 57.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | adults | 140 | 87.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | yearlings | 154 | 70.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fingerlings | 714 | 34.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye | adults | 352 | 80.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fingerlings | 281 | 16.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye | adults | 232 | 124.0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| gravel ramp | county | A county-owned access with no developed ramp is located on the west shore (section 8). |
DNR fish survey, 2022
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 14.00 | 84 | 0.46 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 12.00 | 72 | 1.89 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 6.67 | 40 | 0.12 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 4.00 | 24 | 0.24 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 2.67 | 16 | 0.28 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 1.17 | 7 | 0.06 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 0.50 | 3 | 1.73 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 0.33 | 2 | 2.15 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 14.00 | 126 | 0.24 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 9.11 | 82 | 0.33 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 4.44 | 40 | 0.16 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 3.11 | 28 | 0.59 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 0.40 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.44 | 4 | 1.43 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 0.25 |
| Hybrid sunfish | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 0.29 |
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.
West Crooked is located seven miles north of Nevis in central Hubbard County. West Crooked has a surface area of 269 acres and a maximum depth of 50 feet. There is a county-owned public access located on the west shore of the lake. West Crooked provides angling opportunities for panfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, and a bonus Walleye population. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 42 different types based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. West Crooked is in lake class 25. Class 25 lakes are generally deep, clear, hard water lakes, with irregular shaped shorelines. Other class 25 lakes in the Park Rapids management area include: Bad Axe, Belle Taine, Eagle, Little Sand, Third Crow Wing, Island, Little Mantrap, and Ojibway. Panfish are a popular choice for anglers on West Crooked with good populations of Black Crappie, Bluegill, and Pumpkinseed. Anglers will find Black Crappie in the 9-10 inch size range and Bluegill in the 6-8 inch size range. West Crooked supports a healthy Largemouth Bass fishery, with good numbers and sizes of Largemouth Bass. Good water quality, aquatic vegetation cover, and spawning substrate provide excellent habitat for Largemouth Bass and panfish in West Crooked. Present and past surveys have shown an abundant Northern Pike population in West Crooked with the population dominated by smaller pike under 21 inches in length. Larger Northern Pike are present with fish measured up to 36.8 inches. Walleye were sampled in low numbers. Past surveys have shown the Walleye population to fluctuate from low to moderate levels. Currently no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in West Crooked. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the lake.
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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