Stocking

Stocking Lake is a small, 101 acre lake located ten miles northeast of Park Rapids in Hubbard County. Stocking Lake is a relatively shallow lake with a maximum depth of only 25 feet. There is no public access on the lake. There are currently two resorts on the lake. Stocking provides fishing opportunities for northern pike, black crappie, panfish, and largemouth bass. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical and chemical characteristics. Stocking is in lake class 34. Class 34 lakes are generally shallow lakes with hard water. Other area lakes in this same classification include Alice, Schoolcraft, and Big Stony. Anglers can expect to find an abundant northern pike population. Northern pike abundance (21.5 pike/gillnet) was the highest recorded for all surveys dating back to 1962. Sampled northern pike had an average length and weight of 21.7 inches and 2.3 pounds, with pike measured up to 33.0 inches. Important northern pike forage species such as white sucker, golden shiner, and yellow perch were sampled in good numbers. Stocking Lake supports an abundant panfish population composed of black crappie, bluegill, and pumpkinseed. Anglers can expect to find black crappie in the 8-9 inch size range and bluegill and pumpkinseed in the 6-8 inch size range. Stocking Lake also supports a good largemouth bass population. Good water quality, aquatic vegetation cover, and spawning substrate provide excellent habitat for largemouth bass in Stocking Lake.

Stocking Lake is a small 88-acre lake located ten miles northeast of Park Rapids in Hubbard County. Stocking Lake is a relatively shallow lake with a maximum depth of only 25 feet. There is no public access on the lake. There are currently two resorts on the lake. Stocking Lake provides fishing opportunities for northern pike, black crappie, panfish, and largemouth bass.The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical and chemical characteristics. Stocking Lake is in lake class 34. Other area lakes in this same classification include Alice, Schoolcraft, and Big Stony.Anglers can expect to find an abundant northern pike population. Northern pike numbers were up with the gillnet catch rate of 13.5 pike/gillnet above the range "typical" for this lake class. Northern pike abundance in past surveys has generally been at moderate levels, fluctuating within the "typical" range. Sampled northern pike had an average length and weight of 22.3 inches and 2.6 pounds. Important northern pike forage species such as yellow perch, golden shiner, and white sucker were sampled in good numbers. Black crappie were sampled in high numbers and anglers can expect to find good numbers of 8.0 inch crappie presently in the lake. Anglers will also find good numbers of bluegill and pumpkinseed, however, they tend to run small with an average length near 6.0 inches. The numbers of bluegill sampled over 7.0 inches was low when compared to other area lakes. Area residents and resort owners on the lake reported good largemouth bass fishing during the summer of 2003. Other species sampled included moderate numbers of brown and black bullhead, and low numbers of yellow bullhead and rock bass.

The present northern pike abundance is less than in similar lakes in the Park Rapids area (Alice, Schoolcraft) at 4.0 per set. The average size of northern pike sampled in 1993 was 21.9 inches and 3.0 pounds. Only one largemouth bass was sampled with standard lake survey gear during 1993 therefore their abundance and size structure could not be evaluated. Historically they have been at a low level. Black crappies were sampled with both gillnets and trapnets with 56% of the black crappies sampled exceeding 8.0 inches. The yellow perch are abundant and provide an excellent forage base for the predator species but their small size does not provide a good fishery for anglers.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Rock Bass, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, and Black Crappie in Stocking. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Stocking. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

Stocking has a maximum depth of 25 feet and a mean depth of 15 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Stocking is from 2013. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

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