Crooked

Crooked Lake (DOW# 11-0494; Lake Class 27) is a 565-acre lake, with 237 littoral acres, 3.7 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 74 feet located near Wilkinson, MN. There is a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) owned public access on the east shore of Welsh Lake and Crooked Lake is accessible through a navigable channel between the two lakes. Crooked Lake is within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation (LLIR) and is co-managed by the MNDNR and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe - Division of Resource Management (LLBO DRM). Crooked lake is primarily managed for Northern Pike and Walleye and secondarily for Tullibee (Cisco), Bluegill, Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass, and Yellow Perch. MNDNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Crooked Lake is in Lake Class 27; lakes in this class are large, deep, and regularly shaped. Other area lakes in this class include Ada, Pleasant, and Thirteen. A reduced daily limit of five Sunfish was implemented in the spring of 2022 to preserve the quality size structure in this lake. The purpose of this survey was to assess the status of gamefish populations. Only standard gill nets were used in this targeted survey. Northern Pike were moderately abundant, meeting the management goal in 2025. Length based goals were not met for Northern Pike. Lengths ranged from 17 to 28 inches with an average length and weight of 19 inches and 1.4 pounds. Walleye abundance was slightly lower than the previous survey in 2020 but met the management goals. Sampled Walleye ranged in length from 14 to 26 inches with an average length and weight of 18 inches and 2 pounds. Tullibee (Cisco) were sampled in low numbers and below the management goal. Tullibee from 17 to 19 inches present in the sample. Largemouth Bass were sampled in low numbers with fish up to 17 inches present. Yellow Perch abundance was below management goals. A targeted spring trap net survey for Bluegill was conducted in 2025, see that survey for more details on the Bluegill population. Other fish species sampled include Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, and Yellow Bullhead. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. To date no invasive species have been identified in Crooked Lake. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. 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 access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local natural resource office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Walker Area Fisheries office.

Crooked Lake (DOW# 11-0494; Lake Class 27) is a 565-acre lake, with 237 littoral acres, 3.7 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 74 feet located near Wilkinson, MN. There is a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) owned public access on the east shore of Welsh Lake and Crooked Lake is accessible through a navigable channel between the two lakes. Crooked Lake is within the Leech Lake Indian Reservation (LLIR) and is co-managed by the MNDNR and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe - Division of Resource Management (LLBO DRM). The lake is primarily managed for Northern Pike and Walleye and secondarily for Tullibee (Cisco), Bluegill, Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass, and Yellow Perch. The DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Crooked Lake is in Lake Class 27; lakes in this class are large, deep, and regularly shaped. Other lake class 27 lakes in the Walker Area include Ada, Pleasant, Six Mile, and Thirteen. In 2022 an experimental regulation reducing the Sunfish daily limit to five fish was implemented. The purpose of the regulation was to preserve the quality Sunfish size structure present in this lake. The purpose of this survey was to evaluate the Sunfish regulation and collect population metrics on Bluegill and Black Crappie. The survey was completed in May 2025. The Bluegill catch was high relative to previous surveys and fish averaged 5 inches long. Bluegill larger than 9 inches were sampled and growth was above average. Bluegill in Crooked Lake measured roughly 5 inches by age-4. No Black Crappie were sampled. Other fish species sampled in Crooked Lake include Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass Walleye, and Yellow Bullhead. People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. To date no invasive species have been identified in Crooked Lake. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. 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 access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local natural resource office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Walker Area Fisheries office.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Crooked Lake was conducted on July 22nd and 29th, 2021 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at 14 sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample nine stations, a 15-foot seine was used at one station, and site conditions prevented the use of seines at four stations. Nearshore sampling captured 17 species of fish including five species that are intolerant of disturbance (Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass) and none that are tolerant of disturbance. The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from an August 24th, 2020 standard survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (Black Bullhead, Common Carp, Fathead Minnow). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Data from this survey indicates Crooked Lake is in good health as indicated by an FIBI score above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Leech Lake River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Walleye, Rock Bass, Bluegill, Hybrid Sunfish, and Pumpkinseed in Crooked. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Crooked. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Crooked has a maximum depth of 74 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Crooked is from 2025.

No invasive species are on record for Crooked in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.