Minnesota · Becker County
Boyer Lake Fishing guide
Boyer Lake sits in Becker County, Minnesota, and covers 438 acres, reaching 26 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 4.8 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 11 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Excellent numbers9.6per gill net17"Typical29"Biggest
Lengths measured · 86 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 86 fish
2023Lengths measured · 76 fish
2018Lengths measured · 57 fish
2013Lengths measured · 54 fish
2008Largemouth bassPresent2.7per gill net9"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 29 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 29 fish
2023Lengths measured · 42 fish
2018Lengths measured · 11 fish
2013Lengths measured · 13 fish
2008Northern pikeGood numbers11.2per gill net22"Typical33"Biggest
Lengths measured · 105 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 105 fish
2023Lengths measured · 45 fish
2018Lengths measured · 33 fish
2013Lengths measured · 22 fish
2008BluegillJust a few6.3per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 114 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 114 fish
2023Lengths measured · 449 fish
2018Lengths measured · 443 fish
2013Lengths measured · 73 fish
2008CrappiePresent1.8per gill net8"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 16 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 16 fish
2023Lengths measured · 43 fish
2018Lengths measured · 9 fish
2013Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 48 fish
2008Yellow perchOne of the best around51.2per gill net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 467 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 467 fish
2023Lengths measured · 302 fish
2018Lengths measured · 175 fish
2013Lengths measured · 439 fish
2008Rates 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 Boyer 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.
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.
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 | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 29" | 33" | 18" |
| 2018 | 29" | 32" | 17" |
| 2013 | 30" | 32" | 17" |
| 2008 | 29" | 30" | 14" |
| 2003 | 27" | 30" | 17" |
| 1998 | 24" | 25" | 15" |
| 1993 | 20" | — | 2" |
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
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
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
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
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 | 204,000 fry |
| 2024 | Walleye | 206,897 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 204,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 204,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 204,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 204,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 204,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 204,000 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 204,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2023 survey
Boyer Lake is a 438-acre lake located in western Becker County, within the Buffalo River watershed. It is moderately developed with a public boat access located on the northwest shore of the lake, adjacent to U.S. Highway 10 east of Lake Park. The Islands found in Boyer Lake are State-owned Waterfowl Management Areas. A standard fisheries survey was completed on Boyer Lake in August 2023 to assess the fish populations.
Traditionally, Boyer Lake has had a low abundance of Northern Pike, but numbers have increased recently. The Northern Pike population now has moderate numbers. The size of the pike tend to be good with 41% of the pike sampled in 2023 being over 24 inches. Pike up to 34 inches were measured. Boyer Lake also contains a fairly numerous population of silver pike, which are often mistaken for Muskellunge by anglers. About 21% of the pike captured in 2023 were silver pike. Walleye numbers were well above average for the lake and good size fish were available for anglers to catch. About 54% of the Walleye captured in 2023 were over 15 inches and 37% were over 20 inches. Bluegill were found in small numbers at the lake compared to other area lakes and very few fish over eight inches were observed. The longest Bluegill measured was 9.5 inches. Black Crappie and Largemouth Bass were captured in low numbers in the nets, which is often the case with this sampling gear. Black Crappie up to ten inches were measured and Largemouth Bass up to 18.5 inches were captured. Yellow Perch were abundant in Boyer Lake, but only averaged 6.5 inches in length. Other fish species observed were Black, Brown, and Yellow Bullhead, Green Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, White Sucker, and Yellow Perch.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Boyer Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Boyer 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
- Boyer Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Boyer Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Marshall Lake · 191 ac · 2 mi
- East LaBelle Lake · 229 ac · 2.2 mi
- Stakke Lake · 497 ac · 4 mi
- Little Cormorant Lake · 1,067 ac · 4.3 mi
- Leif Lake · 521 ac · 5 mi
- Bijou Lake · 225 ac · 5.6 mi
- Sand Lake · 311 ac · 6 mi
- Upper Cormorant Lake · 974 ac · 7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Boyer Lake?
Boyer Lake reaches 26 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 12.5 ft; about 47% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Boyer Lake?
Boyer Lake covers 438 acres with about 6.5 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Boyer Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Boyer Lake average 4.8 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Boyer Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Boyer Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Boyer Lake have a public access?
Yes. Boyer Lake has one public access site: Boyer Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Boyer Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 29"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1993.
When was Boyer Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Boyer Lake in 2023, the most recent of 11 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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