Minnesota · Todd County
Beauty Lake Fishing guide
Beauty Lake sits in Todd County, Minnesota, and covers 240 acres, reaching 27 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 10.2 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 18 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassGood numbers61per hr (electrofishing)13"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 76 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2025Lengths measured · 2 fish
2025Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 74 fish
2023Lengths measured · 2 fish
2017Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 105 fish
2017Northern pikeGood numbers10per gill net20"Typical30"Biggest
Lengths measured · 74 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2023 + 2025Lengths measured · 7 fish
2025Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 61 fish
2023Lengths measured · 6 fish
2021Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 3 fish
2017Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
BluegillJust a few12.4per trap net5"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 1315 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2023 + 2025Lengths measured · 633 fish
2025Lengths measured · 264 fish
2023Lengths measured · 418 fish
2021Lengths measured · 406 fish
2020CrappieJust a few1.2per trap net9"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 196 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2023 + 2025Lengths measured · 17 fish
2025Lengths measured · 94 fish
2023Lengths measured · 85 fish
2021Lengths measured · 14 fish
2020Yellow perchGood numbers12.8per gill net6"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 79 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2025Lengths measured · 1 fish
2025Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 78 fish
2023Lengths measured · 2 fish
2017Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 37 fish
2017No recent survey rating.
Rates 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 Beauty 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. At 10.2 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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.
- 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. At 10.2 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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.
- 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 | Walleye |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 14" | 22" | — |
| 2023 | 18" | 30" | 24" |
| 2021 | — | 30" | — |
| 2017 | 20" | 34" | 23" |
| 2012 | 18" | 34" | 24" |
| 2010 | 14" | 19" | 22" |
| 2008 | 19" | 28" | 24" |
| 2006 | 15" | 32" | 24" |
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 · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
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
Walleye · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Walleye | 150,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 150,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 150,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 150,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Beauty Lake (DOW# 77-0035-00; Lake Class 31) is a 238-acre lake located near Long Prairie, Minnesota. A Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) owned concrete boat ramp is located on the southeast shore. Beauty Lake has 3.55 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 27 feet. The lake is primarily managed for Northern Pike and Largemouth Bass and secondarily for Bluegill, Black Crappie, and Walleye. The lake was initially surveyed in 1960, and 18 fish sampling surveys or investigations have occurred since then with most recent prior sampling in 2023.
A total of 633 Bluegills were captured for a catch rate of 27.5 fish/net. Average length was 5.01 inches and a maximum of 9.06 inches. Bluegill size structure goals aim at least 50% of the sample to exceed 7 inches, 30% to exceed 8 inches, 15 % over 9 inches and the presence of fish 10 inches or longer. In the 2025 survey fourteen percent of fish measured were 7 inches or greater and 10 fish were 8 inches or greater. Although seventy three percent of the Bluegills captured were under 6 inches, observing some Bluegills over 8 inches is a good sign that Beauty Lake can grow large Bluegills.
Read the full DNR narrative
Black Crappie Spring trap net catches can vary considerably due to sample conditions. A total of 17 Black Crappies were caught for a catch rate of 0.73 fish/net. Average length was 7.55 inches and maximum length of 10.59 inches. Seventy-six percent of fish measured were 8 inches or larger.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Beauty Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Beauty 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
- Beauty Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Beauty Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Mill Lake · 171 ac · 2.9 mi
- Coal Lake · 171 ac · 5.5 mi
- Little Swan Lake · 164 ac · 5.6 mi
- Mons Lake · 95 ac · 6 mi
- Pine Island Lake · 238 ac · 7.2 mi
- Bass Lake · 123 ac · 7.2 mi
- Pepin Lake · 54 ac · 7.4 mi
- Thunder Lake · 214 ac · 7.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Beauty Lake?
Beauty Lake reaches 27 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 16 ft; about 57% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Beauty Lake?
Beauty Lake covers 240 acres with about 3.5 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Beauty Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Beauty Lake average 10.2 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Beauty Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Beauty Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2023; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Beauty Lake have a public access?
Yes. Beauty Lake has one public access site: Beauty Lake (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Beauty Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 18"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2006.
When was Beauty Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Beauty Lake in 2025, the most recent of 18 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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