French Lake

Details

DNR lake ID

66003800

County

Rice

Surface area

876 acres

Maximum depth

56 feet

Shallow water (littoral) area

398 acres, 45% of the lake

Shoreline

4.8 miles

Average water clarity

2.0 feet (Secchi disk, 4 readings)

Nearest town (DNR)

Faribault

Latest DNR fish survey

April 2024, targeted survey

Surveys on record

20, since 1979

Game fish caught in the 2024 survey

muskellunge 58

Fish species recorded

black crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, hybrid crappie, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white bass, white crappie, yellow perch, and 11 other species

Stocked in 2025

muskellunge yearlings (41); muskellunge fingerlings (169)

Stocked in 2024

muskellunge yearlings (40); muskellunge fingerlings (200); walleye fry (198,500)

Stocked in 2023

muskellunge fingerlings (398)

Stocking years on record

10 of the last 10 (2016 to 2025)

French Lake Public Water Access Site

trailer launch, concrete slab ramp, 1 dock, 17 trailer spaces, run by DNR Division of Parks and Trails

Infested waters list

Eurasian watermilfoil

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.