Minnesota · Stearns County
Becker Lake Fishing guide
Becker Lake covers 221 acres in Stearns County, Minnesota, reaching 20 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 5.4 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 7 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeExcellent numbers6per gill net15"Typical23"Biggest
Lengths measured · 23 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024Lengths measured · 4 fish
2024Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 19 fish
2021Lengths measured · 4 fish
2018Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 4 fish
2013Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Largemouth bassJust a few10.6per hr (electrofishing)13"Typical17"Biggest
Lengths measured · 12 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024Lengths measured · 11 fish
2024Lengths measured · 1 fish
2021Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 1 fish
2018Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 9 fish
2013Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Northern pikeGood numbers10per gill net20"Typical33"Biggest
Lengths measured · 38 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024Lengths measured · 23 fish
2024Lengths measured · 15 fish
2021Lengths measured · 80 fish
2018Lengths measured · 30 fish
2013Channel catfishExcellent numbers5per gill net24"Typical29"Biggest
Lengths measured · 20 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024Lengths measured · 5 fish
2024Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 15 fish
2021Lengths measured · 23 fish
2018Lengths measured · 9 fish
2013Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
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 Becker Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds.
- 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 77% 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.
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. With 77% 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.
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 | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 18" | 33" | 17" |
| 2021 | 23" | 31" | 10" |
| 2018 | 21" | 30" | 7" |
| 2013 | 26" | 28" | 16" |
| 2003 | 18" | 30" | 18" |
| 1995 | 15" | 25" | 9" |
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 · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
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
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
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 2024 survey
Becker Lake is a 176-acre lake located near the city of Richmond in south-central Stearns County. A public access is located on the Sauk River just east of the lake. Becker Lake formed when a dam was built in Cold Spring in the early 1900's and is now considered a part of the Sauk River Chain of Lakes (SRCL). Most of the lake is shallow and has a maximum depth of 20 feet. Becker Lake has historically been susceptible to winterkill events. To help reduce winterkill events, an aeration system was installed in 1989 but later removed in 2010 due to difficulties maintaining equipment. Due to the location of Becker Lake in relation to the rest of the other lakes on the SRCL, water quality is often better with a more diverse aquatic plant community. Zebra mussels were found within the SRCL in 2018, and Eurasian watermilfoil was found downstream Horseshoe in 2021. Anglers are encouraged to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) by cleaning, draining, and drying all equipment used in infested waters. A targeted survey was conducted in 2024 using boat electrofishing and gillnets to update data on popular game species last collected in 2021.
Largemouth Bass were surveyed during the daytime using boat electrofishing on May 20, 2024. Bass catches continue to be low at 11/hr and were well below the Sauk Rapids management objective of 50/hr. Only 10 bass were sampled during the electrofishing event and ranged in size from and 4.0 to 17.0 inches. However, anglers should have good opportunities to catch quality-sized Largemouth Bass as 55% were longer than 12.0 inches and 46% were longer than 15.0 inches.
Read the full DNR narrative
Gillnet catches were moderate to low across all species collected during the survey. The Northern Pike catch increased from 8.0/net (2021) to 12.0/net and was above the expected range of values for lakes similar to Becker Lake. Northern Pike lengths ranged from 15.0 to 34.0 inches, with an average length and weight of 21.0 inches and 2.0 pounds. Nine percent of the Northern Pike sampled were longer than 26.0 inches and 5% were longer than 30.0 inches. Anglers are encouraged to harvest small pike (less than 22.0 inches) to help increase the size structure of the population.
Walleye abundance in 2024 (2.0/net) was much lower than 2021 (10.0/net) but was within the range of expected values for the lake. Only four Walleye were sampled during the survey and ranged in length from 15.5 to 18.0 inches with an average length and weight of 16.0 inches and 1.4 pounds. Walleye stocking within the SRCL was discontinued after 2017 because natural reproduction was documented within the system by area staff.
Channel Catfish have historically been abundant within the SRCL, but catches in Becker Lake have never been overly high. Channel catfish abundance appears to have peaked in 2018 and has been decreasing over the past two surveys. The catch in 2024 (2.5/net) was the lowest on record since 2003. Channel Catfish lengths ranged from 22.0 to 28.0 inches, with an average length and weight of 24.4 inches and 4.8 pounds.
Other species sampled in low numbers included: Black Bullhead, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Redhorse spp., Shorthead Redhorse, White Sucker, Yellow Bullhead, and Yellow Perch.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Becker Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Becker 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
- DNR access: State owned access is present on the Sauk River, east of the lake, off MN Hwy 22. The lake is also navigable from Horseshoe Lake.
DNR bathymetry
Becker Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Horseshoe Lake · 629 ac · 1.3 mi
- Cedar Island Lake · 986 ac · 2 mi
- Big Lake · 458 ac · 2.3 mi
- Zumwalde Lake · 128 ac · 2.5 mi
- Schneider Lake · 60 ac · 3 mi
- Long Lake · 487 ac · 3.2 mi
- Great Northern Lake · 196 ac · 3.5 mi
- Bolfing Lake · 109 ac · 3.6 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Becker Lake?
Becker Lake reaches 20 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 2.2 ft; about 77% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Becker Lake?
Becker Lake covers 221 acres with about 5.9 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Becker Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Becker Lake average 5.4 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Becker Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish.
Is Becker Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Becker Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Becker Lake have a public access?
Yes. Becker Lake has one public access site: DNR access (State owned access is present on the Sauk River, east of the lake, off MN Hwy 22. The lake is also navigable from Horseshoe Lake.).
How big do walleye get in Becker Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 23"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.
When was Becker Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Becker Lake in 2024, the most recent of 7 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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