Minnesota · Cass County
Bowen Lake Fishing guide
Bowen Lake covers 182 acres in Cass County, Minnesota, reaching 25 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 12.6 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 9 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers2.8per gill net14"Typical28"Biggest
Lengths measured · 18 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 17 fish
2024Lengths measured · 1 fish
2022Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 17 fish
2019Lengths measured · 29 fish
2014Northern pikeGood numbers12.7per gill net20"Typical28"Biggest
Lengths measured · 85 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 76 fish
2024Lengths measured · 9 fish
2022Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 95 fish
2019Lengths measured · 79 fish
2014BluegillJust a few9.1per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 160 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 81 fish
2024Lengths measured · 79 fish
2022Lengths measured · 76 fish
2019Lengths measured · 16 fish
2014CrappieJust a few1.1per trap net10"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 21 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 4 fish
2024Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 17 fish
2022Lengths measured · 21 fish
2019Lengths measured · 2 fish
2014Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Yellow perchOne of the best around43.8per gill net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 360 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 265 fish
2024Lengths measured · 95 fish
2022Lengths measured · 122 fish
2019Lengths measured · 55 fish
2014Rates 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 Bowen Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 12.6 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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. At 12.6 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 28" | 28" | — |
| 2022 | 26" | 22" | 6" |
| 2019 | 31" | 22" | 16" |
| 2014 | 33" | 20" | 18" |
| 2004 | 36" | 25" | 18" |
| 1994 | 27" | 23" | 21" |
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 | 49,020 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 49,950 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 49,025 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 50,320 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 49,950 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 24,985 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
Bowen Lake (DOW # 11-0350, Lake Class 31) is 176-acres with a maximum depth of 25 feet and 49 littoral acres (less than 15 feet deep) located one mile southeast of Backus, Minnesota. Bowen Lake is on the Pine River a state Water Trail Canoe Route. There is a Minnesota DNR-owned public access on the south shore a half mile east of State Highway 371. The DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Bowen Lake is in Lake Class 31. Lakes in this class are generally clear, moderately productive, and moderately deep. Other area lakes in this classification include Child (DOW# 11-0263, Lake Class 31), Widow (DOW# 11-0273, Lake Class 31), and Five Point Lake (DOW# 11-0351, Lake Class 31). Bowen Lake is primarily managed for Bluegill, Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass and Walleye with secondary management species being Northern Pike, Tullibee (Cisco) and Yellow Perch.
Bluegill abundance is moderate and met the management goal. Bluegill lengths ranged from 4 to 9 inches with many quality-sized fish present. Black Crappie were sampled in low numbers with lengths ranging from 10 to 12 inches. Past surveys have sampled low numbers of Largemouth Bass, but none were caught in 2024. Walleye abundance was below the management goal of four fish per gillnet despite fry stocking. Lengths ranged from 7-28 inches with an average length of 15 inches. Northern Pike are abundant exceeding the maximum management goal. Sampled Northern Pike averaged 21 inches long with fish 13 to 28 inches present. Anglers are encouraged to harvest the abundant Northern Pike less than 22 inches long in this lake. Yellow Perch are abundant meeting the management goal; sizes are generally small with few fish 8 inches or longer sampled.
Read the full DNR narrative
Other fish species found in 2024 were Bowfin (Dogfish), Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Rock Bass, White Sucker and Yellow Bullhead.
People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Bowen lake is listed as infested with Starry Stonewort an aquatic invasive species (AIS) which was discovered in 2022 at the access site. AIS are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local natural resource office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Walker Area Fisheries office.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Bowen Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Bowen 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
- Bowen Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Bowen Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Lind Lake · 440 ac · 1 mi
- Pine Mountain Lake · 1,617 ac · 2 mi
- Sanborn Lake · 220 ac · 2.3 mi
- Horseshoe Lake · 260 ac · 3 mi
- Johnson Lake · 90 ac · 3 mi
- Willard Lake · 8 ac · 3.5 mi
- Ox Yoke Lake · 185 ac · 4.2 mi
- Beuber Lake · 132 ac · 4.3 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Bowen Lake?
Bowen Lake reaches 25 ft at its deepest point; about 27% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Bowen Lake?
Bowen Lake covers 182 acres with about 2.3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Bowen Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Bowen Lake average 12.6 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Bowen Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Bowen Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Bowen Lake have a public access?
Yes. Bowen Lake has one public access site: Bowen Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Bowen Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 28"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1994.
When was Bowen Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Bowen Lake in 2024, the most recent of 9 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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