Minnesota · Cottonwood County
Bean Lake Fishing guide
Bean Lake sits in Cottonwood County, Minnesota, and covers 164 acres, reaching 12 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 1.7 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 8 times, most recently in 2020, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 6 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025One of the best around12.5per gill net18"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 71 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2020Lengths measured · 45 fish
2020Lengths measured · 26 fish
2014Lengths measured · 83 fish
2008Lengths measured · 91 fish
2002No recent survey rating.
No recent survey rating.
CrappieJust a few1.2per trap net9"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 46 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2020Lengths measured · 28 fish
2020Lengths measured · 18 fish
2014Lengths measured · 62 fish
2008Lengths measured · 3 fish
2002Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Yellow perchExcellent numbers23.3per gill net7"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 121 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2020Lengths measured · 53 fish
2020Lengths measured · 68 fish
2014Lengths measured · 8 fish
2008Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 185 fish
2002Rates 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 Bean Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 1.7 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- Early summer
- Walleye are setting up on the outside weed edge, points and shallow structure.
- Summer
- Walleye are working the weed edge, points and any wind-blown structure. With 99% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows. A 12-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. In 1.7 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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. With 99% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops. A 12-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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 | Walleye | Northern pike | Yellow perch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 25" | 35" | 12" |
| 2014 | 26" | — | 10" |
| 2008 | 27" | 26" | 9" |
| 2002 | 13" | 36" | 11" |
| 1998 | 25" | 34" | 12" |
| 1994 | 19" | 27" | 11" |
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:
Walleye · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Inline Spinner (Mepps/Blue Fox)
#2–#4 in-line spinner
Yellow perch · Live bait
Clip-On Bobber + Worm
half to whole garden nightcrawler
Yellow perch · 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.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Northern Pike | 368 fingerlings |
| 2025 | Walleye | 70,500 fry |
| 2024 | Northern Pike | 286 fingerlings |
| 2023 | Walleye | 70,500 fry |
| 2022 | Northern Pike | 88 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 70,500 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 70,500 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 70,500 fry |
| 2016 | Northern Pike | 914 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2020 survey
INTRODUCTION
Bean Lake is a typical shallow southern Minnesota Lake near the town of Storden in Cottonwood County, Minnesota. The 141-acre lake has a maximum depth of 10 feet. Bean Lake has a watershed acreage-to-lake acreage ratio of 3-to-1 indicating a fairly small watershed. The watershed acres of Bean Lake are agricultural with row crops and pattern tile drainage dominating the landscape. This altered hydrology leads to increased drainage which results in artificially increased water levels in lakes and streams following precipitation events. As a result, highly erodible soils within and along the watercourses and farm fields can lead to inputs of excessive nutrients. One indicator of excessive nutrients and inputs is high alkalinity, usually greater than 200 ppm (280 ppm in 2014 and unchanged at 280 ppm in 2020). Additionally, high productivity leads to high biological oxygen demand (BOD, accumulation of bacteria and living organisms in the lake that use oxygen separate from fish). Complications from a high BOD is magnified by ice and snow cover in the winter, eliminating or reducing the dissolved oxygen during winter. To combat this, aeration was started in 1991 by a local sportsman's club. From 1991 to 2013 there were no reported or observed winterkills due to low dissolved oxygen. However, during the winter of 2013-2014 there was thick ice (greater than 19 inches) coupled with longer than usual periods of snow cover on the ice that caused low dissolved oxygen. A partial fish kill was observed and documented in the late winter and early spring of 2014, with some fish surviving. Restocking of gamefish was coordinated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and private stocking provided by Redrock Sportsman's Club. The restocking effort was successful as determined by a 2014 survey. A standard gill net and trap net survey with 2 gill nets and 8 trap nets was conducted in July of 2020 to monitor the fish community and continue to track the recovery of the fish population.
Read the full DNR narrative
WALLEYE
Thirty-five Walleye between 16.9 and 20.9 inches (average = 18.6 inches) were caught in gillnets and 10 Walleye between 18.6 and 25.6 inches (average = 21.5 inches) were caught in trap nets. The gillnet catch rate of 17.5 per gillnet was just below the upper normal range for similar lakes (18.06/gillnet). The sizes of Walleye in the sample favored fish between 17 and 20 inches. Thirty-five Walleye were assigned an age by reading their ear bone (otolith) under a dissecting microscope. Thirty-four were age-3 and 1 was age-6. The 2017 stocking of Lower Mississippi Strain Walleye (Lake Sarah Strain) resulted in a very strong year class (97% of aged fish). Additionally, the health of the Walleye in the sample was good indicating they are finding adequate food. Walleye angling should be good, if not excellent, on Bean Lake over the next several years. Most Walleye will be near the 20 inch statewide regulation so be cognizant to only harvest 1 fish over 20 inches as part of your daily bag. Additionally, good numbers of Yellow Perch in the gill nets and trap nets should help feed larger Walleye which may create an opportunity to catch a Walleye over 25 inches over the next year or two. Overall, the Walleye population has rebounded well from the partial winterkill in 2013-2014.
YELLOW PERCH
Fifty-one Yellow Perch were captured in 2 gill nets and 2 Yellow Perch were captured in 8 trap nets. The gill net catch rate (25.5/gill net) was nearly identical to the upper normal range for similar lakes (25.0/gill net). Yellow Perch in the gill net ranged in length from 6.5 inches to 12.7 inches with an average length of 8.7 inches. The sizes of the Yellow Perch was well balanced with many fish 8 inches and bigger. In addition, the health of the Yellow Perch in the gill nets and trap nets was excellent. Angling for Yellow Perch in 2020 and 2021 could result in good numbers of fish larger than 9 inches. Particularly, ice angling could be good if the fish are actively feeding.
NORTHERN PIKE
Northern Pike are currently managed as the top predator for Bean Lake. Gill nets and trap nets in 2020 sampled 2 Northern Pike that were 29.3 inches and 35.4 inches. While the numbers per net (0 per gill net and 0.25 per trap net) were low, the 2 Northern Pike that were sampled reflect a potential small population of large Northern Pike that should help to reduce numbers of small undesired species and keep Yellow Perch from becoming overabundant and stunted. Future stocking will occur to help boost numbers of Northern Pike. However, large Northern Pike could be caught on Bean Lake. These large predators are beneficial to the Lake, so consider catch-and-release of Northern Pike if they are not foul hooked and they remain lively. The Current regulation in Southern Minnesota is 2 Northern Pike over 24 inches for daily limit and possession limit.
OTHER SPECIES
Other species sampled on Bean Lake were Black Bullhead, Black Crappie, Common Carp, Green Sunfish, Orangespotted Sunfish, and Yellow Bullhead. Black Bullhead were the most abundant of the species listed above, 51.5 were caught per gill net and 33.4 were caught per trap net. Black Bullhead averaged 9.9 inches in the gill net sample and 11.9 inches in the trap net sample. Black Crappie were caught at the highest abundance ever observed for Bean Lake with 12.5 per gill net and 0.4 per trap net. The average length of Black Crappie in the gill net sample was 6.7 inches and 8.4 inches in the trap net sample. While currently undersized for harvest, Black Crappie typically grow quickly and should be nearly 1 inch longer by summer 2021. Common Carp, Green Sunfish, Orangespotted Sunfish, and Yellow Bullhead were all only caught in trap nets at rates less than 1 fish per trap net (Species = number/trap net; Common Carp = 0.5, Green Sunfish = 0.13, Orangespotted Sunfish = 0.25, and Yellow Bullhead = 0.25).
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Bean Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Bean 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
- Bean Lake (trailer launch)
- Bean Lake Fishing Pier (fishing pier)
DNR bathymetry
Bean Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Double Lake · 240 ac · 1.1 mi
- Louisa Lake · 230 ac · 7.2 mi
- Buffalo Lake · 127 ac · 10.2 mi
- Laura Lake · 22 ac · 11.5 mi
- Talcot Lake · 873 ac · 13.6 mi
- Fox Lake · 172 ac · 14.2 mi
- Wellner-Hageman Reservoir · 75 ac · 14.4 mi
- Bloody Lake · 274 ac · 15.3 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Bean Lake?
Bean Lake reaches 12 ft at its deepest point; about 99% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Bean Lake?
Bean Lake covers 164 acres with about 1.9 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Bean Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Bean Lake average 1.7 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Bean Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2020) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Bean Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked northern pike and walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Bean Lake have a public access?
Yes. Bean Lake has 2 public access sites, including Bean Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Bean Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 26"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1994.
When was Bean Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Bean Lake in 2020, the most recent of 8 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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