9 miles southwest of Sedan
Pope County, Minnesota · 45.4756° N, 95.3649° W
Directions to Gilchrist Lake Public Water Access SiteApple Maps
Directions open in Google or Apple Maps, to the Minnesota DNR public access site.
Updated 19 Oct 2026, 6:11 pm EDT.
National Weather Service; National Interagency Fire Center; U.S. EPA CyAN satellite; Minnesota DNR. Weather, warnings, fires and satellite refresh when you open the page (checked at most hourly).
Minnesota DNR lake survey, fetched 15 Oct 2026. Not for navigation.
1 public access site on Gilchrist Lake.
Minnesota DNR public water accesses, fetched 15 Oct 2026.
Minnesota DNR stocking reports list 8 stockings of Gilchrist Lake in 5 of the years 2017 to 2024. The most recent, in 2024, included 105,000 walleye fry. Species stocked: walleye.
Latest: 2024: 105,000 walleye fry.
Source: Minnesota DNR Fisheries (LakeFinder stocking reports), fetched 15 Oct 2026. How we measure
Measured from Minnesota DNR contours. How we measure
Minnesota DNR’s latest standard fish survey of Gilchrist Lake was in July 2023: 6 gill nets and 9 trap nets caught 14 species.
Walleye per gill net, standard surveys: 2001 3.2 · 2006 3.3 · 2011 3.3 · 2017 4.3 · 2023 4.8
Bluegill per trap net, standard surveys: 2001 5.4 · 2006 12 · 2011 4.1 · 2017 23 · 2023 21
Walleye: 28 measured, 8 to 23 in, half 16 in or longer; average 1.7 lb, normal (normal 1.1–2.6 lb).
Northern pike: 46 measured, 17 to 31 in, half 22 in or longer; average 2.7 lb, normal (normal 1.5–2.7 lb).
Lmb: 18 measured, 13 to 18 in, half 16 in or longer.
Black crappie: 62 measured, 3 to 14 in, half 9 in or longer; average 0.6 lb, above normal (normal 0.2–0.5 lb).
Bluegill: 193 measured, 3 to 8 in, half 5 in or longer; average 0.16 lb, normal (normal 0.1–0.3 lb).
Also caught: black bullhead, bowfin (dogfish), brown bullhead, common carp, hybrid sunfish, white sucker, yellow bullhead.
Source: Minnesota DNR Fisheries lake survey, 10 Jul 2023, via LakeFinder, fetched 15 Oct 2026. Normal range: DNR’s range for lakes of the same class (43 classes, grouped by water chemistry and shape). Each line has its own scale. How we measure
Measured water clarity averages about 6 ft: the Secchi depth across 3 readings, 2006–2017.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and volunteer Secchi readings, via Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, fetched 15 Oct 2026.
Minnesota DNR lake survey; straight-line miles.
Gilchrist Lake is 24 feet at its deepest point, measured by Minnesota DNR survey. It covers 336 acres.
Yes. 1 public access site is listed: Gilchrist Lake Public Water Access Site.
Yes. Minnesota DNR stocking reports list 8 stockings of it in 5 of the years 2017 to 2024. The most recent, in 2024, included 105,000 walleye fry.
Minnesota DNR’s July 2023 standard survey caught 14 species, most often bluegill, black crappie, northern pike and walleye.
About 44% of the lake's area is deeper than 10 feet, measured from Minnesota DNR depth contours.