Minnesota · Becker County
Bijou Lake Fishing guide
Bijou Lake sits in Becker County, Minnesota, and covers 225 acres, reaching 27 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 7 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 13 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers2.3per gill net23"Typical28"Biggest
Lengths measured · 16 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 16 fish
2022Lengths measured · 17 fish
2016Lengths measured · 13 fish
2011Lengths measured · 8 fish
2006Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Northern pikeGood numbers12.3per gill net22"Typical37"Biggest
Lengths measured · 65 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 8 fish
2023Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 57 fish
2022Lengths measured · 55 fish
2016Lengths measured · 63 fish
2011BluegillLast stocked 2024Fair numbers44per trap net7"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 360 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 360 fish
2022Lengths measured · 173 fish
2016Lengths measured · 249 fish
2011Lengths measured · 161 fish
2006CrappieLast stocked 2024Just a few0.6per trap net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 18 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 1 fish
2023Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 17 fish
2022Lengths measured · 13 fish
2016Lengths measured · 4 fish
2011Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Yellow perchGood numbers4.8per gill net5"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 19 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 19 fish
2022Lengths measured · 20 fish
2016Lengths measured · 182 fish
2011Lengths measured · 51 fish
2006No 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 Bijou Lake through the year
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.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
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.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
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 | Northern pike | Walleye | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 26" | — | — |
| 2022 | 37" | 28" | 13" |
| 2016 | 33" | 26" | 18" |
| 2011 | 32" | 26" | 16" |
| 2006 | 33" | 27" | 17" |
| 2001 | 31" | 15" | — |
| 1996 | 28" | 17" | 15" |
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:
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
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
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 | Walleye | 121,115 fry |
| 2024 | Black Crappie | 4 adults |
| 2024 | Bluegill Sunfish | 151 adults |
| 2024 | Largemouth Bass | 17 adults |
| 2024 | Walleye | 120,000 fry |
| 2023 | Black Crappie | 23 adults |
| 2023 | Bluegill Sunfish | 325 adults |
| 2023 | Largemouth Bass | 30 adults |
| 2023 | Walleye | 120,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 120,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 120,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 120,000 fry |
Stocking records before 2019 omitted.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2023 survey
Bijou (Beseau) Lake is a 210-acre lake located in western Becker County. The agricultural watershed, marginal water quality, and continuing shoreline development make it susceptible to winterkill. Bijou Lake has experienced a light winterkill in 2004, a moderate winterkill in 2001, and a severe winterkill in 1994. Property owners reported abundant dead fish in the spring of 2023, which prompted a fisheries survey to be conducted in May 2023 to assess the severity of the winterkill.
Dead fish of all species were observed while surveying. Trap nets captured Northern Pike, White Sucker, Black Crappie, Black Bullhead, and Yellow Bullhead. These are all species which are more tolerant to low oxygen conditions, but no species were abundant. Northern Pike had an average length of 21 inches. Bijou Lake appears to have experienced a significant winterkill for Bluegill, Black Crappie, and Largemouth Bass during the 2022-2023 winter. This would be the first major winterkill in Bijou Lake since 1994. As a result, Walleye, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Black Crappie were reintroduced in spring 2023. Angling opportunities for Northern Pike are still available, but it will take several years to have quality fishing for other species.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Bijou Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Bijou 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
- Bijou State (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Bijou Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Stakke Lake · 497 ac · 1.8 mi
- Upper Cormorant Lake · 974 ac · 2.8 mi
- Sand Lake · 311 ac · 3.1 mi
- Turtle Lake · 196 ac · 3.1 mi
- Middle Cormorant Lake · 373 ac · 5 mi
- Fifteen Lake · 154 ac · 5.2 mi
- Leif Lake · 521 ac · 5.4 mi
- Marshall Lake · 191 ac · 5.5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Bijou Lake?
Bijou Lake reaches 27 ft at its deepest point; about 53% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Bijou Lake?
Bijou Lake covers 225 acres with about 5.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Bijou Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Bijou Lake average 7 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Bijou Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Bijou Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2019.
Does Bijou Lake have a public access?
Yes. Bijou Lake has one public access site: Bijou State (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Bijou Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 37"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1996.
When was Bijou Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Bijou Lake in 2023, the most recent of 13 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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