Minnesota · Murray County
Bloody Lake Fishing guide
Bloody Lake is a 274-acre lake in Murray County, Minnesota, reaching 9 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 0.8 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 7 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, northern pike, bluegill and crappie in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2023One of the best around13.5per gill net10"Typical21"Biggest
Lengths measured · 55 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 23 fish
2023Lengths measured · 32 fish
2022Lengths measured · 16 fish
2016Lengths measured · 25 fish
2010Northern pikeJust a few2per gill net10"Typical24"Biggest
Lengths measured · 26 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 21 fish
2023Lengths measured · 5 fish
2022Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 12 fish
2016Lengths measured · 5 fish
2010Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
BluegillJust a few3per trap net8"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 27 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 27 fish
2022Lengths measured · 5 fish
2016Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 7 fish
2010Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 18 fish
2002CrappieJust a few7.5per trap net8"Typical14"Biggest
Lengths measured · 101 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 41 fish
2023Lengths measured · 60 fish
2022Lengths measured · 61 fish
2016Lengths measured · 121 fish
2010Yellow perchExcellent numbers21.5per gill net7"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 64 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 25 fish
2023Lengths measured · 39 fish
2022Lengths measured · 5 fish
2016Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 14 fish
2010Channel catfishExcellent numbers8per gill net21"Typical24"Biggest
Lengths measured · 12 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 12 fish
2022Lengths measured · 10 fish
2016Lengths measured · 4 fish
2010Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 21 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 Bloody Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 0.8 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 100% 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 9-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 0.8 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 100% 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 9-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 7" | 12" | 9" |
| 2022 | 21" | 24" | 10" |
| 2016 | 23" | 27" | 8" |
| 2010 | 19" | 27" | 9" |
| 2002 | 19" | 36" | 9" |
| 1996 | 22" | 39" | 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
Planer Board Spread
4–6" crankbait or a 5–6 ft crawler harness run out to the side on an in-line planer board
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 · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Walleye | 248,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2023 survey
Bloody Lake is a shallow basin (maximum depth of 9 feet) that is 248 acres and is located in Murray County. Bloody Lake is connected to Lake Shetek by a channel large enough for watercraft to pass through, thus its fishery is influenced heavily by management activities and the existing fish community on Lake Shetek. Bloody Lake is managed primarily for Walleye, and secondarily for Yellow Perch, Black Crappie, and Northern Pike.
Bloody Lake experienced a major fish kill during the winter of 2022-2023. Prior to the fish kill, stocking had not occurred since 2010 with fish maintained successfully via migration from Lake Shetek. After the winterkill, Bloody Lake was restocked with 248,000 Lower Mississippi Strain (LMS) Walleye fry from the Lake Sarah egg take operation. Lake Shetek was restocked with 1.7 million LMS Walleye fry as well. Black Crappie were reared in ponds at Lake Shetek State Park with age-0 fish produced in the ponds drained into Lake Shetek. Yellow Perch were not restocked because they were observed in good numbers (5.5 per gill net) during a netting survey in May. Two Northern Pike were also caught in nets during the Lake Shetek survey and a private rearing pond connected to Bloody Lake (Malone's Pond) was stocked and operated to boost the population in Bloody and Shetek Lakes. Bloody Lake was surveyed using one gill net and three trap nets the week of August 10, 2023 to determine the recovery of Bloody Lake after the winterkill and restocking efforts.
Read the full DNR narrative
Eleven species of fish were captured during sampling (see GN and TN results). Four species (Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Green Sunfish, and Orangespotted Sunfish) were not sampled in 2023 but were present before the winterkill event in 2022-2023. One species, White Sucker, was captured in 2023 but not prior to the winterkill. When looking at the management species, Walleye (2 per GN, 7 per TN), Black Crappie (6 per GN, 11 per TN), Northern Pike (2 per GN, 6.33 per TN), and Yellow Perch (9 per GN, 5.67 per TN) all showed large reductions in adult fish present. In fact, only age-0 Walleye, age-0 Black Crappie, and age-0 Northern Pike were sampled with no adult members of each of those species. Similar to Lake Shetek winterkill, Yellow Perch adults seemed to fair best of all management species. Encouragingly, Walleye, Black Crappie, and Northern Pike restocking and/or natural recruitment seem adequate to quickly repopulate the lake. Harvest oriented angling will be tough with many small fish caught over the next year or two, however, when these fish reach harvestable size the angling success could be very good.
While Bloody Lake did experience a major fish kill during the winter of 2022-2023, there is much to be encouraged about. Walleye, Black Crappie, and Northern Pike restocking or natural recruitment all seem adequate to quickly repopulation the lake. In addition, Lake Shetek is poised to have a very strong year-class of stocked age-0 Walleye that should move in and out of Bloody Lake as well. Also, Yellow Perch adults faired very well in Bloody and Shetek Lakes and should add some angling attention over the next year or two as the rest of the fish community continues to recover and grow to larger harvestable sizes. Walleye should reach harvestable size (13-14 inches) by the winter of 2024-2025. Black Crappie should reach harvestable size (9 inches) by the spring of 2025. Northern Pike should reach the southern zone minimum length limit of 24 inches (2 Northern Pike 24 inches or greater daily bag limit) by spring of 2025. Another lake survey will be conducted on Lake Shetek during August 2024 with the ability to evaluate the fish community of Bloody Lake as well.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Bloody Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Bloody 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
- Bloody Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Bloody Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Fox Lake · 172 ac · 1.3 mi
- Shetek Lake · 3,462 ac · 2 mi
- Sarah Lake · 1,209 ac · 5 mi
- Buffalo Lake · 127 ac · 5.9 mi
- Lake of the Hill · 147 ac · 9 mi
- Laura Lake · 22 ac · 10 mi
- Iron Lake · 282 ac · 10.1 mi
- Yankton Lake · 403 ac · 12.5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Bloody Lake?
Bloody Lake reaches 9 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Bloody Lake?
Bloody Lake covers 274 acres with about 5.6 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Bloody Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Bloody Lake average 0.8 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Bloody Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish.
Is Bloody Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2023.
Does Bloody Lake have a public access?
Yes. Bloody Lake has one public access site: Bloody Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Bloody Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 21"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1996.
When was Bloody Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Bloody Lake in 2023, the most recent of 7 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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