Minnesota · Carver County
Bavaria Lake Fishing guide
Bavaria Lake sits in Carver County, Minnesota, and covers 167 acres, reaching 66 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 4.2 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 12 times, most recently in 2025, with largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and crappie in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassFair numbers44.1per hr (electrofishing)10"Typical20"Biggest
Lengths measured · 96 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 4 fish
2023Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 92 fish
2022Lengths measured · 146 fish
2017Lengths measured · 138 fish
2013Northern pikeFair numbers6.8per gill net25"Typical34"Biggest
Lengths measured · 38 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 38 fish
2022Lengths measured · 25 fish
2017Lengths measured · 55 fish
2013Lengths measured · 16 fish
2007BluegillOne of the best around122.8per trap net5"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 2141 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 796 fish
2023Lengths measured · 1345 fish
2022Lengths measured · 686 fish
2017Lengths measured · 804 fish
2013CrappieJust a few6.4per trap net7"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 163 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 40 fish
2023Lengths measured · 123 fish
2022Lengths measured · 71 fish
2017Lengths measured · 136 fish
2013Rates come from standard DNR survey gear (gill nets, trap nets, electrofishing), judged against statewide benchmarks for the same gear, so the same number of fish per net can read differently for two species. Where the standard gear can't count a species reliably, only presence and size are listed. Typical is the middle fish of those measured. Open a row for the full length spread, survey by survey.
How to fish Bavaria Lake through the year
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn.
- Early summer
- Largemouth are on the shallow spawning flats and protected bays, where beds go on firm bottom next to isolated cover.
- Summer
- Largemouth are in and along the weeds: cabbage and milfoil edges, matted cover and shade. On a lake that drops to 66 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find. On a lake that drops to 66 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Largemouth bass | Northern pike | Bluegill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 16" | — | 8" |
| 2022 | 20" | 34" | 8" |
| 2017 | 20" | 36" | 8" |
| 2013 | 21" | 35" | 8" |
| 2007 | 19" | 33" | 7" |
| 2002 | 18" | 37" | 7" |
| 1995 | 14" | 27" | 8" |
Longest fish measured by DNR survey crews in each year's nets. Survey gear samples the population, so the lake usually holds larger fish than any survey measured.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
Bluegill · Live bait
Clip-On Bobber + Worm
half to whole garden nightcrawler
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Minnesota DNR Fisheries IBI program staff conducted an assessment of lakeshore habitat on Bavaria Lake on September 3rd, 2025, following the Score the Shore survey protocols. The assessment consisted of 26 survey sites evenly spaced 150 meters around the lake. Assessments were made in three habitat zones: Shoreline Zone (the shore-water interface to the top of the natural bank), Shoreland Zone (land-ward from shoreline to development structure or 100 feet), and Aquatic Zone (lake-ward 50 feet of shoreline). The average lakewide habitat score was 64.3 (+/- 5.2) out of 100 possible. A score of 64.3 indicates the lakewide shoreline condition is Poor (50-65.9). Approximately 69 percent of the sites were developed with a mean score of 50.6 (+/- 4.7) indicating shoreline habitat quality of developed sites is Poor (50-65.9), while undeveloped sites had a mean score of 95.0 (+/- 2.1) with Excellent (92+) habitat quality.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Bavaria Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Bavaria Lake from guides, tournaments and regular anglers. Anything posted in the last two weeks also bumps the matching spots on the live map, so you'll see a "matches a recent report" tag on them.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- Lake Bavaria (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Bavaria Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Wassermann Lake · 170 ac · 1.6 mi
- Kelser's Pond · 20 ac · 1.9 mi
- Steiger Lake · 166 ac · 2.1 mi
- Piersons Lake · 267 ac · 2.7 mi
- Auburn Lake · 291 ac · 2.8 mi
- Zumbra-Sunny Lake · 271 ac · 3.4 mi
- Virginia Lake · 105 ac · 3.5 mi
- Minnewashta Lake · 680 ac · 3.6 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Bavaria Lake?
Bavaria Lake reaches 66 ft at its deepest point; about 39% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Bavaria Lake?
Bavaria Lake covers 167 acres with about 2.5 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Bavaria Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Bavaria Lake average 4.2 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Bavaria Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Bavaria Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Bavaria Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Bavaria Lake have a public access?
Yes. Bavaria Lake has one public access site: Lake Bavaria (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Bavaria Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 20"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.
When was Bavaria Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Bavaria Lake in 2025, the most recent of 12 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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