Area ponds and local fishing holes..fish stocking

[Alan]

I have a question. The other day a guy I see from time to time was telling me about his great day of fishing this past weekend in the South Metro. I asked him where he went, and he says a little small lake or pond sort of a thing. He shows it to me on Google maps, and it's this little water hole off the beaten path. Not big enough for a boat of any kind. So strictly shore fishing.

He says he was catching bass like crazy, huge sunnies and some really decent crappies. With a few Northerns in the mix. So as I am looking at this lake on the map, I am thinking how can there be so many nice fish in the lake/pond? Does the DNR stock these unknown lakes? I don't think this lake even has a name. It's just some back water behind the Minnesota River.

So my question is this: Where do these fish come from? This lake is not connected in any way to the river, just near it. It's not a big lake/pond. So how does it have such nice fish in it? It was like his secret place to go and have a good day of fishing.

And while I am on the subject, I can remember going fishing as a kid with my neighbor to some pond behind where he worked in Burnsville somewhere. Man, we were taking crappies from that pond like crazy. the pond was so small we barley had a place to stand from shore. But it was full of some nice fish. Again, if it's not stocked by the DNR, how are these little no name lakes and ponds full of nice fish?

[Scott K]

If it is close to the river, it could be a backup pond. When the river gets really high, it overflows in the spring and the fish swim in, then the river drops and the fish are stuck in these backups.

[SDbowhunter]

People, may be illegally stocking it. I know a guy who has a couple of small pounds he stocked with sunfish, crappies, walleye, bass, and fat heads. They started reproducing and the population is holding pretty well from my understanding.

[Nick Kuhn]

The DNR may have used them as a rearing pond for fingerlings, that's how a few lakes nearby got their fish. One I'm thinking of has northerns but for the longest time had no other species of fish (they must've ate tadpoles, minnows, or smaller northerns). At the request of the landowner we threw some green sunfish in there (albeit illegally, but the fish were taken legally) to try fatten the northerns up. Haven't been back there since to see if it was successful or not.

[Iambjm]

The DNR does a stocking of catchable fish in many metro area ponds opening weekend, they are supposed to be designated childrens fishing ponds. I am not sure if they are still doing it, but we used to go to the Mill pond in Champlin after they stocked and there was shore to shore people fishing. The crappies were very decent in size, didn't take long to get it fished out though.

[Thunder]

My question is how do you know when a pond like that might hold fish? Seems odd to spend time fishing what appears to be a mudhole. I suppose if you fish a couple like that and one pays off, it's all worth it.

[Black_Bay]

Check this DNR page out: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fishing/fin/index.html

There are quite a few ponds that are stocked.

[Sifty]

Thanks for the link Black Bay.

There are quite a few on there that I've taken my kids too.

Sifty

[slipperybob]

When I was a kid, I would fish some of those metro lakes...I remember signs saying, please put the catfish and walleyes back on lake Bennet. It's funny to catch catfish or walleyes in lake Como, lots of bullheads too.