Stuart

Stuart Lake is a 699-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in south-central Otter Tail County, one mile west of Vining, MN. Stuart Lake is connected to East Battle Lake via a non-navigable outlet along the north shoreline. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. The maximum depth is 49 feet; however, 58% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. The secchi disk reading during the 2019 lake survey was 13.5 feet. Previous secchi disk readings have ranged from 7.8 to 24.0 feet. A majority of the shoreline of Stuart Lake is developed with homes and cabins. A DNR owned public water access is located along the north shoreline. Shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand and gravel. Stands of hardstem bulrush, common cattail, and wild rice are scattered throughout the lake. Emergent plants provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat, and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They protect shorelines and lake bottoms, and can absorb and break down polluting chemicals. Emergent plants also provide critical spawning habitat for fish such as Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish. They also serve as an important nursery area for all species of fish. Because of their ecological value, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. To maintain the excellent water quality and angling that this lake has to offer, it is imperative to preserve the quality of the aquatic habitat. A reduced daily bag limit regulation for Sunfish (10 per day) was implemented in 2021. The objective of the regulation is to maintain the quality of the Bluegill size structure. . A special spring trapnetting survey was conducted to collect baseline data on the Bluegill population, which will be used for regulation evaluation purposes in future surveys. The Bluegill population is abundant and has a high quality size structure. Fifty-one percent of the Bluegill sample was 8.0 inches or greater in length, while 76% was 7.0 inches or greater in length. Age data indicate that Bluegill reproduction is consistently good. Bluegills attain an average length of 8.3 inches at eight years of age. A spring trapnetting survey was conducted to analyze the Black Crappie population. In 2005, a 10-inch minimum length limit for Black Crappies was implemented. The objective of the regulation was to maintain or improve the size structure of the Black Crappie population. Data collected in Black Crappie surveys since 2005 indicate that the regulation has been successful in maintaining a quality population. Black Crappies are abundant and the size structure is good. Age data indicate that reproduction is normally good as four year classes were sampled. Black Crappies ranged in length from 6.2 to 11.8 inches with an average length of 9.6 inches. Forty-six percent of the Black Crappies were 10.0 inches or greater in length. Black Crappies attain an average length of 10.6 inches at five years of age. Anglers can also maintain the quality of fishing by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest encourages the release of medium to large size fish while allowing the harvest of more abundant smaller fish. Releasing the medium to large fish will ensure that the lake will have enough spawning age fish on an annual basis and will provide anglers with more opportunities to catch large fish in the future. Stuart Lake was listed as infested with zebra mussels in 2022. Aquatic invasive species are threatening Minnesota waters. Aquatic invasive species can potentially harm water quality, water recreation, aquatic habitat, native species, and fish populations. Anglers can help prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species by following watercraft transportation laws.

Stuart Lake is a 699-acre mesotrophic (moderately fertile) lake located in south-central Otter Tail County, one mile west of Vining, MN. Stuart Lake is connected to East Battle Lake via a non-navigable outlet along the north shoreline. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. The maximum depth is 49 feet; however, 58% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. The secchi disk reading during the 2019 lake survey was 13.5 feet. Previous secchi disk readings have ranged from 7.8 to 24.0 feet. A majority of the shoreline of Stuart Lake is developed with homes and cabins. A DNR owned public water access is located along the north shoreline. Shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand and gravel. Stands of hardstem bulrush, common cattail, and wild rice are scattered throughout the lake. Emergent plants provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat, and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They protect shorelines and lake bottoms, and can absorb and break down polluting chemicals. Emergent plants also provide critical spawning habitat for fish such as Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish. They also serve as an important nursery area for all species of fish. Because of their ecological value, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit. To maintain the excellent water quality and angling that this lake has to offer, it is imperative to preserve the quality of the aquatic habitat. A spring trapnetting survey was conducted to analyze the Black Crappie population. In 2005, a 10-inch minimum length limit for Black Crappies was implemented. The objective of the regulation was to maintain or improve the size structure of the Black Crappie population. Data collected in Black Crappie surveys since 2005 indicate that the regulation has been successful in maintaining a quality population. Black Crappies are abundant and the size structure is good. Age data indicate that reproduction is normally good as four year classes were sampled. Black Crappies ranged in length from 6.2 to 11.8 inches with an average length of 9.6 inches. Forty-six percent of the Black Crappies were 10.0 inches or greater in length. Black Crappies attain an average length of 10.6 inches at five years of age. A reduced daily bag limit regulation for sunfish (10 per day) was implemented in 2021. The objective of the regulation is to maintain the quality of the Bluegill size structure. Anglers can maintain the quality of fishing by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest encourages the release of medium to large size fish while allowing the harvest of more abundant smaller fish. Releasing the medium to large fish will ensure that the lake will have enough spawning age fish on an annual basis and will provide anglers with more opportunities to catch large fish in the future. Stuart Lake was listed as infested with zebra mussels in 2022. Aquatic invasive species are threatening Minnesota waters. Aquatic invasive species can potentially harm water quality, water recreation, aquatic habitat, native species, and fish populations. Anglers can help prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species by following watercraft transportation laws.

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Stuart Lake was conducted on July 3 and 6, 2023, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at fourteen sampling stations, but one station was sampled from the boat due to site conditions. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample six stations, a 15-foot seine was used at six stations, and site conditions prevented the use of seines at three stations. Nearshore sampling captured eighteen species of fish including five species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, Mimic Shiner and Pugnose Shiner) and two that are tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Fathead Minnow and Green Sunfish). The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from a June 2019 survey to describe the fish community and provide a fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Black Bullhead and Common Carp). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. Results from this survey provide evidence that the fish community in Stuart Lake is healthy as indicated by an FIBI score that is well above the impairment threshold determined for similar lakes. These results are similar to previous survey findings, which indicated that Stuart Lake is fully supporting for aquatic life use. The survey results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Otter Tail River Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Hybrid Sunfish, Bluegill, Rock Bass, Largemouth Bass, and Walleye in Stuart. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

Minnesota DNR records list public access for Stuart. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for the launch type and directions before you go.

Stuart has a maximum depth of 49 feet and a mean depth of 17 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Stuart is from 2019.

Yes — Stuart has confirmed zebra mussel. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.

Yes — the 2026 Minnesota DNR regulations list 2 special rules for Stuart, covering black crappie and sunfish. Special regulations override the statewide limits; see the fishing regulations section on this page. Verify current rules with the Minnesota DNR before keeping fish.