Zumbro Lake
Olmsted County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data
Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 55000400
DNR records show 8 stocking entries at Zumbro Lake since 2016, most recently muskellunge fingerlings in 2024 (304 fish).
- Zumbro Lake has 8 DNR stocking records across 6 years (2016-2024): muskellunge (4), walleye (4).
- The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 52,691 fish on record.
- Maximum depth 43 ft; surface area 715 acres, 263 littoral acres, 22.8 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
- Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 5.3 ft.
- Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, channel catfish, common carp, freshwater drum, golden redhorse, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, quillback, and 12 more.
- 1 public access on the DNR list.
- Most recent DNR fish survey: (targeted survey).
- Olmsted County, nearest town Oronoco; DNR lake number (DOW) 55000400.
Depth map
Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey; depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Size | Number | Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 304 | 77.5 |
| 2024 | Walleye1 | fingerlings | 13,840 | 600.7 |
| 2022 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 17,395 | 599.8 |
| 2019 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 300 | 88.2 |
| 2018 | Muskellunge | fingerlings | 150 | 28.2 |
| 2018 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 9,456 | 600.0 |
| 2017 | Muskellunge | adults | 36 | 144.0 |
| 2016 | Walleye2 | fingerlings | 12,000 | 600.0 |
1 fish purchased and stocked by private citizens and sporting groups. 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 | Minnesota DNR | 20 vehicle/trailer parking spaces |
DNR fish survey, 2021
| Species | Gear | Catch per net | Total catch | Avg lb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 40.20 | 38 | 0.47 |
| Yellow perch | Standard electrofishing | 15.87 | 15 | 0.15 |
| Smallmouth bass | Standard electrofishing | 15.87 | 15 | 1.20 |
| White bass | Standard electrofishing | 13.75 | 13 | 0.37 |
| Black crappie | Standard electrofishing | 13.75 | 13 | 0.40 |
| White crappie | Standard electrofishing | 2.12 | 2 | 0.48 |
| Walleye | Standard electrofishing | 2.12 | 2 | 2.07 |
| Northern pike | Standard electrofishing | 1.06 | 1 | 1.78 |
| Black crappie | Standard gill nets | 8.33 | 50 | 0.17 |
| Freshwater drum | Standard gill nets | 6.33 | 38 | 0.78 |
| Northern pike | Standard gill nets | 5.00 | 30 | 3.19 |
| Shorthead redhorse | Standard gill nets | 4.50 | 27 | 2.38 |
| Golden redhorse | Standard gill nets | 3.83 | 23 | 2.75 |
| Yellow perch | Standard gill nets | 2.67 | 16 | 0.24 |
| White sucker | Standard gill nets | 2.67 | 16 | 1.55 |
| Black bullhead | Standard gill nets | 1.83 | 11 | 0.39 |
| Golden redhorse | Standard trap nets | 6.22 | 56 | 2.54 |
| Black crappie | Standard trap nets | 1.56 | 14 | 0.10 |
| Black bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.67 | 6 | 0.66 |
| Silver redhorse | Standard trap nets | 0.56 | 5 | 3.25 |
| Bluegill | Standard trap nets | 0.33 | 3 | 0.02 |
| Freshwater drum | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 0.27 |
| Shorthead redhorse | Standard trap nets | 0.22 | 2 | 2.56 |
| Yellow bullhead | Standard trap nets | 0.11 | 1 | 0.14 |
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.
Lake Zumbro is a large reservoir on the Zumbro River. It is a popular recreation and fishing lake due to its proximity to Rochester, MN. The primary gamefish in the reservoir are Bluegill, Black Crappie, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, and Northern Pike. A walleye stocking program was initiated in 2008 and fingerlings are stocked at a rate of one pound per surface acre (600 pounds total) in even numbered years. Black Crappie in Lake Zumbro were poorly represented in the trap nets in the 2021 survey, but were sampled in fair numbers in gill nets. However, most of the Black Crappie were under 8 inches. The Northern Pike numbers were excellent and it was the most Northern Pike sampled in a decade. Channel Catfish are present in low numbers and provide anglers with another opportunity to catch larger gamefish. Channel Catfish numbers have generally been on the decline over time. Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass have historically been abundant in the reservoir, and fall electrofishing confirmed that a good population of both species exists in Lake Zumbro. Muskellunge were introduced to Lake Zumbro in 1994 and a substantial number of fingerlings have been stocked periodically since that time. Assessments of the Muskellunge population have shown a very low number of adult fish, but occasional catches and sightings have been reported by anglers. Muskellunge have established a quality population in the Zumbro River downstream of the Lake Zumbro dam. Previous studies have shown that escapement of Muskellunge is common and most fingerlings stocked in Lake Zumbro go over the dam and into the Zumbro River system. Lake Zumbro was last stocked Muskellunge in 2018 (150 fingerlings) and 2019 (300 fingerlings). At the time of the 2021 fisheries assessment, 6 stockings of Walleye fingerlings had taken place since the stocking program was initiated in 2008. The low catch rate of Walleye per gill net suggests that survival and contribution to the fishery are poor. However, nighttime electrofishing in 2015 sampled Walleye at a rate of 31.9 per hour on-time. Anglers have also reported catching Walleye in low numbers and it is expected that catch rates may increase as more year classes of walleye are established. The morphometry of Lake Zumbro is steep sided in many places and gill nets may not be the best indicator of Walleye abundance in this reservoir. A major dam removal and stream restoration project was completed upstream of Lake Zumbro in recent years. It is hoped that the added riverine habitat will provide spawning area for walleye. White Bass were…
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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