Wilkins Lake
Aitkin County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 01010200
DNR records show 10 stocking entries at Wilkins Lake since 2017, most recently walleye fingerlings in 2025 (2,375 fish).
- Wilkins Lake has 10 DNR stocking records across 9 years (2017-2025): walleye (9), yellow perch (1).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 18,140 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 39 ft, mean depth 20 ft; surface area 349 acres, 106 littoral acres, 3.6 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 12.1 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: bigmouth buffalo, black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, 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).
- Aitkin County, nearest town Palisade; DNR lake number (DOW) 01010200.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 2,375 | 79.2 |
| 2024 | Walleye2 | yearlings | 1,716 | 106.0 |
| 2023 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 1,795 | 106.0 |
| 2022 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 1,968 | 106.0 |
| 2021 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 1,590 | 106.0 |
| 2020 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 1,696 | 100.6 |
| 2019 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 2,544 | 106.0 |
| 2018 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 2,438 | 106.0 |
| 2018 | Yellow Perch | adults | 508 | 221.0 |
| 2017 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 2,018 | 106.0 |
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 | TOW | East side of lake |
DNR fish survey, 2024
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 57.00 | 114 | 0.92 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 11.60 | 116 | 0.22 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 4.90 | 49 | 0.80 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 3.50 | 35 | 0.24 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 1.90 | 19 | 0.24 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 1.10 | 11 | 1.38 |
| Bowfin (dogfish) | Standard trap nets | 0.80 | 8 | 3.71 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 0.60 | 6 | 0.44 |
| Rock bass | Standard trap nets | 0.50 | 5 | 0.32 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 3.89 | 35 | 2.08 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 3.67 | 33 | 0.25 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 3.56 | 32 | 0.72 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard gill nets | 2.44 | 22 | 0.83 |
| Walleye | Standard gill nets | 2.22 | 20 | 1.52 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 1.33 | 12 | 0.46 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 0.78 | 7 | 0.29 |
| Rock bass | Standard gill nets | 0.67 | 6 | 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.
Wilkins Lake is moderately sized (372 acres) with clear water and is located in central Aitkin County. There is a township-owned public access with a concrete log ramp without a dock, located on the east side of the lake. The surrounding area is a mixture of forest-covered rolling hills with various wetland types interspersed. Sand is the most common substrate in shallow water areas with a few pockets of gravel and rubble scattered around the lake. The aquatic plant community is fairly diverse and provides good habitat for a variety of aquatic and terrestrial species. Additional benefits provided by a healthy plant community include stabilizing bottom substrates, reducing wave action and resulting erosion, and filtering nutrients and potential contaminants. A standard survey (10 trap nets and 9 gill nets) was conducted on Wilkins Lake during the week of 7/29/2024 to assess the fishery. During the 2024 survey the water was clear-green in color, with moderate clarity measured at 7 feet. Dissolved oxygen was near zero parts per million (ppm) below 18 feet during the survey period. Wilkins is managed primarily for Walleye and Black Crappie, with Bluegill, Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike as secondary species. Walleye gill net catch rates in 2024 (2.2 per net) were in the typical range compared to similar lakes and have been stable over the last 20 years. Historically, Walleye growth rates are good, and a large portion of the population consists of quality-sized fish. The average size of Walleye in the 2024 survey was 16.4 inches with fish up to 23.2 inches present. Walleye spawning habitat is limited on Wilkins Lake and recruitment from natural reproduction has historically been poor. Therefore, Walleye fingerlings are stocked on an annual basis to maintain a stable population. Black Crappie abundance in Wilkins Lake is within the normal range compared to similar lakes. Survey net catches have shown fairly stable results going back to the mid 1980's. Prior to that, abundance was a bit higher. In 2024, the gill net catch (1.3 per net) met the management goal of "1 fish per gill net with fish over 10 inches present". In the 2024 gillnet catch, Black Crappie ranged from 5.8 to 11.3 inches and averaged 9.3 inches, while the trap net catch captured fish ranging from 4.9 to 9.9 inches with an average length of 7.5 inches. Occasionally Black Crappie will produce a strong year class that provides good angling opportunity. When present, Crappie grow well in Wilkins and some good-sized fish can be found. Age analysis revealed 5 year classes present in the survey…
Minnesota DNR survey narrative, .
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Stocking rows, depths, accesses and survey figures are Minnesota DNR LakeFinder data as of 2026-09-02. Regulations, slot limits and special rules are on the DNR page linked above, not here.
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