Minnesota · Otter Tail County
Boedigheimer Lake Fishing guide
Boedigheimer Lake covers 169 acres in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, reaching 26 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 4 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
No recent survey rating.
No recent survey rating.
BluegillNo recent survey ratingNo recent survey rating.
No recent survey rating.
Lengths measured · 209 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 209 fish
2025Lengths measured · 491 fish
2005Lengths measured · 195 fish
2000No recent survey rating.
No recent survey rating.
No 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 Boedigheimer 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.
- 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.
Bluegill
- Spring
- Bluegill are on the beds in firm-bottomed shallows, in colonies of dozens. On a clear lake those colonies sit deeper than you expect.
- Early summer
- Bluegill are off the beds and onto the weed edges and brush, the biggest ones pulling out first.
- Summer
- Bluegill are on the deep weedline of a stratified lake, sliding out as the surface starts back down.
- Fall
- Bluegill are back up onto the flats and into the last green weeds, feeding hard while the shallows still hold heat.
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 | Bluegill | Crappie |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 14" | 8" | 9" |
| 2005 | 15" | 8" | 7" |
| 2000 | 17" | 8" | 12" |
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 · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
Bluegill · Live bait
Clip-On Bobber + Worm
half to whole garden nightcrawler
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Crappie · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Crappie · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner jighead
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 2025 survey
Boedigheimer Lake is a 176-acre moderately fertile lake located in central Otter Tail County approximately five miles south of the city of Perham, MN. It has a maximum depth of 26 feet and 53% of the lake is 15 feet or less in depth. The immediate watershed is composed of agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. Shoreline substrates consist primarily of sand and gravel. Historical Secchi disk readings have ranged from 8.0 to 14.0 feet. An inlet from Marion Lake is located on the west end of the lake and an outlet to Rush Lake is located on the east end. A public access is located on the south shoreline.
Moderate development exists around Boedigheimer Lake. Emergent vegetation (bulrush, cattail, and wild rice) is present in various areas throughout the lake. Emergent plants are important because they provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They protect shorelines from erosion and can even absorb and breakdown pollutants from the water. Emergent plants provide spawning areas for fish species such as northern pike, largemouth bass and panfish. They are also important nursery areas for all fish species. Because of their ecological importance, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit.
Read the full DNR narrative
Boedigheimer Lake can be ecologically classified as a bass-panfish type of lake and this is reflected in the assemblage of the fish community. Northern pike, largemouth bass, and bluegill are the dominant gamefish species present in the lake.
A spring trap netting survey was conducted in 2025 to collect data on the Bluegill population. This was the first survey specifically targeting Bluegill on Boedigheimer Lake. Bluegill are abundant and quality fish are present as well. Age data indicates that Bluegill recruitment has been fairly consistent in recent years. Fish sampled ranged in size from 4.6 to 8.9 inches in length, with 76% of the Bluegills measuring 7.0 inches or greater. Bluegills attain an average length of 8.0 inches at seven years of age.
No special or experimental fishing regulations are in effect for Boedigheimer Lake. Anglers can maintain the quality of fishing by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest encourages the release of medium to large size fish while allowing the harvest of the more abundant small fish. Releasing the medium to large fish will ensure that the lake will have enough spawning age fish on an annual basis and will provide anglers with more opportunities to catch large fish in the future.
Boedigheimer Lake is not listed as an infested water. Aquatic invasive species are threatening Minnesota waters. Aquatic invasive species can potentially harm water quality, water recreation, aquatic habitat, native species, and fish populations. Anglers can help prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species by following watercraft transportation laws.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Boedigheimer Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Boedigheimer 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
- Boedigheimer Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Boedigheimer Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Round Lake · 273 ac · 2 mi
- Marion Lake · 1,624 ac · 3.1 mi
- Rush Lake · 5,276 ac · 3.9 mi
- Buchanan Lake · 964 ac · 4.9 mi
- Walker Lake · 579 ac · 6.8 mi
- Donalds Lake · 166 ac · 6.9 mi
- Portage (main bay) Lake · 269 ac · 7.4 mi
- Paul Lake · 347 ac · 7.5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Boedigheimer Lake?
Boedigheimer Lake reaches 26 ft at its deepest point; about 55% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Boedigheimer Lake?
Boedigheimer Lake covers 169 acres with about 2.2 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Boedigheimer Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Boedigheimer Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Boedigheimer Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Boedigheimer Lake have a public access?
Yes. Boedigheimer Lake has one public access site: Boedigheimer Lake (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Boedigheimer Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 14"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2000.
When was Boedigheimer Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Boedigheimer Lake in 2025, the most recent of 4 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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