Mooney

Hennepin County

Near Medina

DOW: 27013400

Northern PikeExcellent · 78Black CrappieGood · 61BluegillAverage · 47

A 124-acre lake near Medina in Hennepin County — best known for pike and panfish. Last surveyed 1992.

Fish Species (9)

Northern Pike

Excellent · 78

Below-normal numbers · large fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jun 1992

Last surveyed 1992 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

16.30 lbs

Catch rate: 1.0 per gill net · typical 1.1–8 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jun 24, 1992	1.00	-	16.30 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jun 24, 1992	0.60	-	2.20 lbs	Standard trap nets

Black Crappie

Good · 61

Typical numbers · average-size fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jun 1992

Last surveyed 1992 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.29 lbs

Catch rate: 18.6 per trap net · typical 1.2–20.5 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jun 24, 1992	3.00	-	0.10 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jun 24, 1992	18.60	-	0.29 lbs	Standard trap nets

Bluegill

Average · 47

Below-normal numbers · large fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jun 1992

Last surveyed 1992 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.40 lbs

Catch rate: 0.4 per trap net · typical 1.2–20 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jun 24, 1992	0.40	-	0.40 lbs	Standard trap nets

Green Sunfish

Average · 44

Typical numbers · average-size fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jun 1992

Last surveyed 1992 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.10 lbs

Catch rate: 0.6 per trap net · typical 0.2–1.9 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jun 24, 1992	0.60	-	0.10 lbs	Standard trap nets

Yellow Perch

Average · 26

Below-normal numbers · average-size fish

Gill-net survey · surveyed Jun 1992

Last surveyed 1992 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.10 lbs

Catch rate: 1.0 per gill net · typical 2.7–25 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jun 24, 1992	0.20	-	0.10 lbs	Standard trap nets
Jun 24, 1992	1.00	-	0.10 lbs	Standard gill nets

Largemouth Bass

Stocked 2019

Last Stocked

2019

Size Class

yearlings

Total Fish

3,000

Frequency

once

Stocking Details

Year	Size	Number	Pounds	Agency
2019	yearlings	3,000	333.3	Private citizens and sporting groups

Other species in this lake (3)

Rough fish, bullheads, and baitfish recorded in DNR surveys — present in the lake, but not typical angling targets.

Common Carp

Good · 50

Average-size fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jun 1992

Last surveyed 1992 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

2.47 lbs

Catch rate: 1.2 per trap net · typical 1–5.5 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jun 24, 1992	1.20	-	2.47 lbs	Standard trap nets

Black Bullhead

Average · 35

Typical numbers · small fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jun 1992

Last surveyed 1992 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.11 lbs

Catch rate: 21.8 per trap net · typical 11.5–132.6 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jun 24, 1992	193.00	-	0.07 lbs	Standard gill nets
Jun 24, 1992	21.80	-	0.11 lbs	Standard trap nets

Golden Shiner

Poor · 20

Small fish

Trap-net survey · surveyed Jun 1992

Last surveyed 1992 — treat with caution

Avg Weight

0.05 lbs

Catch rate: 0.4 per trap net · typical 0.2–1.1 for a lake like this

Survey History

Date	Catch Rate	Avg Length	Avg Weight	Gear
Jun 24, 1992	0.40	-	0.05 lbs	Standard trap nets

See the best northern pike lakes in Minnesota

Fishing Regulations

Statewide limits

Standard statewide Minnesota limits for the species in this lake.

Northern Pike

Season: May 9, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027

North-central zone

Angling: 10 (not more than 2 over 26". All from 22-26" must be immediatley released).

Largemouth Bass

Season: Mar 1, 2026 – May 22, 2026

Largemouth bass in the Southern and North-central zones

Catch-and-release only

Largemouth Bass

Season: May 23, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027

Largemouth bass in the Southern and North-central zones

6 combined total largemouth or smallmouth (when smallmouth season is open)

Crappie

10 combined total

Sunfish

20 combined total

Perch

20 daily and 40 in possession

More statewide rules (spearing, rough fish)

Northern Pike

Season: Nov 15, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027

North-central zone

Darkhouse spearing: 10 (only 1 between 22-26" and 1 over 26"; or, only 2 over 26").

Bowfin, buffalo, carp, carpsuckers, freshwater drum, goldeneye, redhorse, and suckers

no limit

Bullhead

100

Biologist Notes

June 24, 1992BLB, BLC, AND NOP DOMINATE THE FISH POPULATION. BLB WERE CAPTURED IN NUMBERS OVER 29 TIMES THE LOCAL MEDIAN AND 128 TIMES THE STATE MEDIAN FOR GILLNET…

BLB, BLC, AND NOP DOMINATE THE FISH POPULATION. BLB WERE CAPTURED IN NUMBERS OVER 29 TIMES THE LOCAL MEDIAN AND 128 TIMES THE STATE MEDIAN FOR GILLNETS; 4.3 TIMES THE LOCAL MEDIAN AND 8.4 TIMES THE STATE MEDIAN FOR TRAPNETS. BLB WERE RATED AT 12.2 FISH PER POUND, WITH MOST FISH BETWEEN 4.5 AND 6 INCHES, AND ONLY ONE FISH OVER 9 INCHES. BLC WERE SAMPLED IN NUMBERS 3/4 TIMES THE LOCAL MEDIAN AND 1.5 TIMES THE STATE MEDIAN FOR GILLNETS; 2.9 TIMES THE LOCAL MEDIAN AND 7.3 TIMES THE STATE MEDIAN FOR TRAPNETS. RSD WAS CALCULATED AT 30.0%. DISTRIBUTION WAS BIMODAL, WITH MODES AT 5.0-5.4 INCHES AND 10.5-10.9 INCHES TOTAL LENGTH. NOP WERE CAPTURED IN NUMBERS TWICE THE LOCAL AND STATE MEDIANS FOR GILLNETS AND SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN TRAPNET LOCAL AND STATE MEDIANS. AVERAGE WEIGHT FOR NOP WAS 2.9 POUNDS. IN ADDITION, TRAPNETS AND THE GILLNET CAPTURED 6 CARP, 3 GSF, 2 BLG, 2 YEP, AND 2 GOS. THE SEINE HAULS CAPTURED YOY AND ADULT BLC AND GSF, AS WELL AS ADULT YEP, BLB, AND FHM.

Frequently Asked Questions

What fish can you catch in Mooney?

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Northern Pike, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Green Sunfish, and Yellow Perch in Mooney. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Is there public access at Mooney?

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

How deep is Mooney?

Mooney has a maximum depth of 10 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

When were the main sport fish in Mooney last surveyed?

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Mooney is from 1992. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.

Does Mooney have any invasive species?

Yes — Mooney has confirmed Eurasian watermilfoil. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.

Are there special fishing regulations on Mooney?

No — Mooney has no lake-specific regulations in the 2026 Minnesota DNR regulations, so statewide Minnesota limits apply. The statewide crappie limit is: 10 combined total. Verify current rules with the Minnesota DNR before keeping fish.