Stony Lake
Douglas County, Minnesota87 acresView mapDirections
No nutrient or algae sampling on record from Minnesota PCA for this lake.
- zebra mussel
- 58 ft max depth
- Limited data
Stony Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 58 ft. Surface area: 86.76 acres.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 7, 2018 caught 7.00 northern pike per gill net at Stony Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 17–28 inches. DNR survey details →
Stony Lake is a 87-acre lake in Douglas County, Minnesota with a maximum depth of 58 feet (10-foot average). Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. The lake supports 10 documented fish species including black crappie, bluegill, and bowfin (dogfish). No public access — the lake is private or restricted.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2021-05-11. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Stony Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Fishing10 species recorded
- Deep water58 ft surveyed max depth
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Stony Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Stony Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for Stony Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data.
Ask about Stony Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 7, 2018 caught 7.00 northern pike per gill net at Stony Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 17–28 inches.
A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Stony Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
DNR Fisheries Survey Summary
6 surveys on file from MN DNR Fisheries. Most recent: 2018-08-07 (Standard Survey).
6 surveys on file · most recent 2018-08-07 (Standard Survey)
| Species | Catch rate (CPUE) | Size | Avg weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | 11.35 | 3–8 in 2018-08-07 | 0.14 lb |
| Yellow Bullhead | 11.06 | 6–13 in 2018-08-07 | 0.6 lb |
| Black Bullhead | 5.29 | 9–12 in 2008-08-04 | 0.82 lb |
| Northern Pike | 4.64 | 17–28 in 2018-08-07 | 1.77 lb |
| Pumpkinseed | 4.44 | 5–8 in 2018-08-07 | 0.2 lb |
| Brown Bullhead | 2.99 | 12–13 in 2018-08-07 | 0.87 lb |
CPUE = catch per unit effort, fish caught per net per set in a standardised survey. It measures abundance, not size, and is not a weekly bite report.
Length Distributions
Number of fish caught at each inch class in the most recent survey that recorded lengths. Red dashed line marks an approximate trophy threshold for that species.
Bluegill
Yellow Bullhead
Black Bullhead
Northern Pike
From the 2018-08-07 survey
North Union, Stony, and Lottie (Taylor) lakes form a chain of lakes between Brophy and Cowdry lakes in Douglas County. Stony Lake is the middle lake within the chain of lakes. Stony Lake discharges to Lottie Lake. None of these three small basins have public access sites, but anglers can utilize access sites on Cowdry…
DNR Reports & Resources
Minnesota DNR LakeFinder publishes lake survey, fish stocking, water access, and aquatic plant data for Stony Lake. 1 report on file.
These links open on the official state DNR websites (Wisconsin DNR survey PDFs · Minnesota DNR LakeFinder).
- —Fisheries Lake Survey — StonyFisheries Lake Survey · MN DNR LakeFinder
Lake Details
Max depth
58 ft
Average depth
10 ft
Surface area
87 acres
Shoreline
2 mi
Littoral zone
67%
Share shallower than 15 ft
Public access
No
Listed by Minnesota PCA
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Stays near Stony Lake
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Follow Stony Lake’s readings
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Fish Species
Click a species to see every lake where it is documented.
Fishing Stony Lake
Invasive & Introduced Species
Red chips are ecologically harmful invasive species. Gray chips are stocked or introduced fish that aren't a current ecological concern.
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Worsening6 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.73 µg/L/yr6 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.07 µg/L/yr6 years
Nearby Lakes in Douglas County
Frequently asked questions about Stony Lake
Where is Stony Lake?
- Stony Lake is a lake in Douglas County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Stony Lake?
- Stony Lake in Douglas County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Maximum depth: 58 ft. Surface area: 86.76 acres.
Is Stony Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Stony Lake?
- Stony Lake has a maximum depth of 58 feet and an average depth of 10 feet. The lake covers 86.76 acres.
What fish are in Stony Lake?
- Fish species found in Stony Lake include black crappie, bluegill, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, yellow bullhead. Stony Lake is located in Douglas County, Minnesota.
What did the DNR fisheries survey find at Stony Lake?
- Minnesota DNR's Standard Survey on August 7, 2018 caught 7.00 northern pike per gill net at Stony Lake. Length samples in the latest survey that recorded them ran 17–28 inches. A DNR fisheries survey reports fish abundance and catch rates, not water quality. LakeQuality shows Stony Lake’s water-quality measurements separately, and the water-quality trend over 6 years of monitoring is declining. Catch rate is not a swim clearance and is not a weekly bite report.
Can I fish at Stony Lake?
- Public access to Stony Lake is listed as no on the lake record, so confirm before you make the trip. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA1 sample · 2021
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder