Stuart Lake

Details

DNR lake ID

56019100

County

Otter Tail

Surface area

740 acres

Maximum depth

49 feet

Mean depth

17 feet

Shallow water (littoral) area

405 acres, 55% of the lake

Shoreline

8.0 miles

Average water clarity

14.1 feet (Secchi disk, 4 readings)

Nearest town (DNR)

Vining

Latest DNR fish survey

May 2024, targeted survey

Surveys on record

11, since 1981

Game fish caught in the 2024 survey

bluegill 149, pumpkinseed 59, hybrid sunfish 40

Fish species recorded

black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, walleye, yellow perch, and 17 other species

Stocked in 2025

walleye yearlings (231); walleye adults (173)

Stocked in 2023

walleye fingerlings (500)

Stocked in 2021

walleye fry (407,000)

Stocking years on record

6 of the last 10 (2016 to 2025)

Stuart Lake Public Water Access Site

trailer launch, concrete slab ramp, 1 dock, 3 trailer spaces, run by DNR Division of Parks and Trails

Infested waters list

zebra mussel

Special regulation

Black Crappie: Minimum size limit 10".

Special regulation

Sunfish: Daily limit 10.

Fish consumption

Follow the statewide guidelines; fish from this lake have been tested

Size

500 to 1,999 acres

Deepest point

30 to 59 feet

Public access

Yes

Stocked in the last 3 years

Yes

Sources

• Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
  Checked September 24, 2026
• Minnesota DNR Public Water Access Sites
  Checked September 24, 2026

Survey catches show what DNR nets and electrofishing found on the survey date, not how the fishing is today. Check the current regulations and the Department of Health advice before you keep fish, and confirm access conditions before you tow a boat.