Wolf Lake (Becker County)
Becker County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 03010100
DNR records show 9 stocking entries at Wolf Lake (Becker County) since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (760,326 fish).
- Wolf Lake (Becker County) has 9 DNR stocking records across 9 years (2016-2025): walleye (9).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 6,835,946 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 16 ft; surface area 1,460 acres, 1,445 littoral acres, 14.3 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 15.3 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, 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).
- Becker County, nearest town Wolf Lake; DNR lake number (DOW) 03010100.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 6/19/1963 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | fry | 760,326 | 6.5 |
| 2024 | Walleye | fry | 754,290 | 6.4 |
| 2023 | Walleye | fry | 750,600 | 6.1 |
| 2022 | Walleye | fry | 752,985 | 6.3 |
| 2021 | Walleye | fry | 805,600 | 6.7 |
| 2019 | Walleye | fry | 753,440 | 6.1 |
| 2018 | Walleye | fry | 755,890 | 6.2 |
| 2017 | Walleye | fry | 751,950 | 6.1 |
| 2016 | Walleye | fry | 750,865 | 6.3 |
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 | UKN | Boat ramp at Wolf Lake Sportsmen's Memorial Park on peninsula on east shore. |
DNR fish survey, 2016
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 143.83 | 1,726 | 0.05 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 32.33 | 388 | 0.10 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard trap nets | 21.33 | 256 | 0.08 |
| Yellow perch | Standard trap nets | 7.33 | 88 | 0.12 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 5.25 | 63 | 0.08 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard trap nets | 2.75 | 33 | 0.46 |
| Northern pike | Standard trap nets | 1.50 | 18 | 1.02 |
| Largemouth bass | Standard trap nets | 1.33 | 16 | 0.22 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 106.56 | 959 | 0.15 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 62.00 | 558 | 0.08 |
| Brown bullhead | Standard gill nets | 15.22 | 137 | 0.47 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 11.33 | 102 | 2.45 |
| Pumpkinseed | Standard gill nets | 3.33 | 30 | 0.09 |
| Bluegill | Standard gill nets | 2.78 | 25 | 0.32 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.11 | 10 | 0.31 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 0.89 | 8 | 1.33 |
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.
Fish communities are dynamic in all lakes and streams, constantly changing due to weather patterns, habitat alterations, stocking, fishing pressure and many other influences. In Wolf Lake, winterkill greatly increases the intensity of these fish population shifts. Historically, the lake has been known for "boom or bust" fishing, depending upon the amount of time since the most recent fish kill. The most recent winterkill occurred in the winter of 2013-2014. Northern Pike and Black Bullhead, two species able to tolerate low dissolved oxygen, have survived and thrived in Wolf Lake. Northern Pike catch rates were near their all-time high in 2016 . Walleye, on the other hand, were not found in the lake before stocking began during the 1980s. Walleyes are more vulnerable to winterkill than are Northern Pike and bullhead. The current Walleye population is very low despite regular stocking. Bluegill and Yellow Perch populations are on the upswing and 2016 catch rates reached their historic highs in Wolf Lake. Black crappies remain a part of the fishery, but are not as abundant as in 2002. Average size of sampled fish were 5.9 inches for Bluegill, 6.2 inches for Black Crappie, and 6.8 inches for Yellow Perch. A state-owned pump and baffle aeration system, maintained and operated by the Aho family and the Wolf Lake Sportsmen's Club has attempted to maintain a refuge area for fish during critical winter periods. In 2009, participants switched from the old pump and baffle to two new fountain type aeration units. Two more units were added in 2010. Stocking and aeration can both help to provide or increase a fishery but good habitat is essential to any fish community. Fish habitat and water quality begins with good land stewardship. Wolf Lake is currently only lightly-developed but as a marginal fish lake it is even more important to follow best management practices on watershed lands.
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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