Minnesota · Washington County
Bone Lake Fishing guide
Bone Lake covers 221 acres in Washington County, Minnesota, reaching 30 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 6.3 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 11 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Good numbers4.3per gill net17"Typical27"Biggest
Lengths measured · 52 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024Lengths measured · 29 fish
2024Lengths measured · 23 fish
2021Lengths measured · 23 fish
2018Lengths measured · 8 fish
2012Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Northern pikeJust a few4.1per gill net25"Typical37"Biggest
Lengths measured · 46 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024Lengths measured · 14 fish
2024Lengths measured · 32 fish
2021Lengths measured · 16 fish
2018Lengths measured · 27 fish
2012BluegillPresent2.2per gill net7"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 27 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024Lengths measured · 9 fish
2024Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 18 fish
2021Lengths measured · 53 fish
2018Lengths measured · 89 fish
2012CrappiePresent1.3per gill net8"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 15 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024Lengths measured · 10 fish
2024Lengths measured · 5 fish
2021Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 58 fish
2018Lengths measured · 321 fish
2012Rates 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 Bone 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.
- 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.
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 20" | 10" | 32" |
| 2021 | 27" | 17" | 37" |
| 2018 | 24" | 16" | 40" |
| 2012 | 24" | 18" | 40" |
| 2006 | 29" | 18" | 35" |
| 2001 | 25" | — | 31" |
| 1996 | 24" | — | 29" |
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
Walleye · Trolling
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
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 | 31,000 fry · 931 fingerlings |
| 2024 | Walleye | 31,000 fry · 262 fingerlings |
| 2023 | Walleye | 2,268 fingerlings · 18 yearlings |
| 2022 | Walleye | 1,625 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 239 adults |
| 2020 | Walleye | 569 yearlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 1,944 fingerlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 240 yearlings |
| 2017 | Walleye | 2,168 fingerlings |
| 2016 | Walleye | 3,477 fingerlings · 2 yearlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
Bone Lake is a eutrophic, class 24 lake located in Washington County. The lake has a maximum depth of 30 feet and is 221 acres in surface area, with 124 acres classified as littoral (56%). The lake is listed as impaired for excess nutrients and unacceptable levels of biological indicators. The primary management species for Bone Lake is Walleye, and the secondary management species are Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike. The Comfort Lake-Forest Lake Watershed District installed fish barriers on the outlet and on the inlet from Moody Lake in the fall of 2012. These structures, in conjunction with subsidized commercial fishing, are intended to reduce the rough fish population to negligible levels. A public boat access is located at the northwest corner of the lake. This public boat access is owned by Washington County and operated by DNR Parks and Trails. Prior to 2017, Walleye fingerlings were stocked at an annual rate of 1.0 pounds per littoral acre (125 pounds). Beginning in 2017, after an analysis of stocking performance, the stocking rate was decreased to an annual rate of 0.65 pounds per littoral acre (81 pounds). This report details the most recent gill net survey from June of 2024. The previous gill net survey was conducted in June of 2021.
Walleyes were sampled using gill nets at a rate of 4.8 fish per net. This rate is above average for the lake class and is the highest catch rate for Walleye in Bone Lake since 2006. Fish size was slightly below average for the lake class, with an average length of 16.8 inches and a range of 10.4 to 20.6 inches. Most Walleyes sampled were 16-20 inches in length and the age distribution was dominated by 5-year-old fish. This may be attributable to Walleyes stocked in 2020 being one year old fish, effectively doubling the relative number of fish stocked for the 2019 "year class". The long-range management goal of maintaining a Walleye catch rate greater than or equal to 3 fish per net is being met.
Read the full DNR narrative
Northern Pike were sampled at a rate of 2.3 fish per gill net. This catch rate is below average for the lake class but is typical for Bone Lake. Fish size was above average for the lake class, with an average length of 24.7 inches. Northern pike ranged from 21.9 to 30.6 inches in total length. Although the previous gill net survey revealed a considerable number (34%) of Northern pike to be greater than 30 inches in length, no fish of notable length were captured in this survey.
Although a greater number of Yellow Perch were captured in this gill net survey (7 fish) than the previous survey (1 fish), the Yellow Perch catch rate was very low at just 1.2 fish per net. The next lowest catch rate was observed in 1981 with 7 fish per net. The gill net survey conducted in 2018 showed a very high catch rate of 76 fish per net, indicating a notable decline in Yellow Perch abundance within the last 6 years. The average length for Yellow Perch was just 6.1 inches.
Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Black Crappie were also sampled in gill nets; however, summer gill nets typically do not produce reliable data to estimate abundance or size structure for these species. Other fish species were sampled including Bowfin, Brown Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead, and White Sucker.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Bone Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Bone 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
- Bone Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Bone Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Moody Lake · 45 ac · 1.1 mi
- Goose Lake · 76 ac · 2.8 mi
- Spider Lake · 131 ac · 3 mi
- Green Lake · 1,810 ac · 3.9 mi
- Forest Lake · 2,271 ac · 4.5 mi
- Shields Lake · 30 ac · 4.7 mi
- Big Marine Lake · 1,799 ac · 4.8 mi
- Kroon Lake · 193 ac · 4.9 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Bone Lake?
Bone Lake reaches 30 ft at its deepest point; about 56% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Bone Lake?
Bone Lake covers 221 acres with about 3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Bone Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Bone Lake average 6.3 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Bone Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Bone Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Bone Lake have a public access?
Yes. Bone Lake has one public access site: Bone Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Bone Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 27"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1996.
When was Bone Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Bone Lake in 2024, the most recent of 11 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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