Minnesota · Stearns County

Big Lake Fishing guide

Big Lake covers 458 acres in Stearns County, Minnesota, reaching 42 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 6.5 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 8 times, most recently in 2017, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets. That survey is 9 years old now.

Open the live map → Survey data

Depth to 42 ft · top 5 summer marks

Surface458 ac

Max depth42 ft

Mean14.6 ft

Clarity6.5 ft

Littoral50%

Surveyed2017

How to fish Big 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. On a lake that drops to 42 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
Fall: Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.

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 42 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.

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	Largemouth bass	Northern pike
2017	25"	19"	33"
2012	26"	17"	32"
2002	26"	18"	28"
1994	29"	18"	34"

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

8–35 ftslow

Shop octopus hooks →

Walleye · Trolling

Leadcore Line + Crankbaits

4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run

15–45 fttrolling

Shop deep-diving crankbaits →

Largemouth bass · Soft plastics

Texas-Rigged Worm

7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm

1–25 ftdead slow

Shop plastic worms →

Largemouth bass · Soft plastics

Free Rig

Creature bait or magnum finesse worm

8–30 ftdead slowweedless

Shop creature baits →

Northern pike · Soft plastics

Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead

4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead

3–25 ftmoderate

Shop paddletail swimbaits →

Northern pike · Muskie & pike

Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)

10" soft rubber body bait

3–25 ftslow

Shop musky rubber →

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	Black Crappie	3,000 yearlings
2025	Walleye	6,074 fingerlings · 13 yearlings
2022	Walleye	14,854 fingerlings
2020	Walleye	2,500 yearlings
2019	Walleye	4,448 fingerlings
2017	Walleye	52 yearlings · 516 adults

MN DNR · in their words

From the 2017 survey

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Big Lake was conducted on June 19, 2017 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at ten sampling stations, but three stations were sampled from the boat due to site conditions. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample seven stations and site conditions prevented the use of seines at three stations. Nearshore sampling captured 22 species of fish including six species that are intolerant of disturbance (Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Least Darter, and Pugnose Shiner) and one that is tolerant of disturbance (Green Sunfish).

The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from an August 2017 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g. Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g. Black Bullhead, Common Carp, and Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.

Read the full DNR narrative

Data from this survey indicates Big Lake is in exceptional health as indicated by an FIBI score well above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Sauk River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.

Recent reports

Big Lake fishing reports

Recent reports on Big 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.

Open the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report

Stearns County reports

Public water access

Getting on the water

Big Lake (trailer launch)

DNR bathymetry

Big Lake depth map

Big Lake depth contour map, Stearns County, Minnesota — Depth contours to 42 ft from Minnesota DNR bathymetry, free to save or print. The live map adds ranked spots and conditions on the same contours.

Within 30 miles

Nearby lakes

Horseshoe Lake · 629 ac · 2.2 mi
Becker Lake · 221 ac · 2.3 mi
Long Lake · 487 ac · 2.9 mi
North Brown's Lake · 312 ac · 3.4 mi
Cedar Island Lake · 986 ac · 3.5 mi
Rice Lake · 1,513 ac · 4 mi
Zumwalde Lake · 128 ac · 4.3 mi
Schneider Lake · 60 ac · 5.1 mi

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

How deep is Big Lake?

Big Lake reaches 42 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 14.6 ft; about 50% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).

How big is Big Lake?

Big Lake covers 458 acres with about 7.5 miles of shoreline.

How clear is the water in Big Lake?

DNR Secchi readings on Big Lake average 6.5 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.

What fish are in Big Lake?

Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2017) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish.

Is Big Lake stocked?

Yes. The DNR stocked black crappie and walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.

Does Big Lake have a public access?

Yes. Big Lake has one public access site: Big Lake (trailer launch).

How big do walleye get in Big 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 Big Lake last surveyed?

The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Big Lake in 2017, the most recent of 8 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.

Page updated September 22, 2026.

The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Big Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:

Open Big Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report