Minnesota · Jackson County
Flahtery Lake Fishing guide
Flahtery Lake sits in Jackson County, Minnesota, and covers 457 acres, reaching 6.2 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 1 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 3 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, northern pike and yellow perch in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025One of the best around34per gill net14"Typical22"Biggest
Lengths measured · 42 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 42 fish
2023Lengths measured · 25 fish
2019Lengths measured · 1 fish
2015Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Yellow perchLast stocked 2025Just a few1per gill net6"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 20 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 20 fish
2023Lengths measured · 112 fish
2019Lengths measured · 164 fish
2015Rates 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 Flahtery Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 1 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.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows. A 6.2-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 1 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.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops. A 6.2-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 | 22" | 24" | 7" |
| 2019 | 21" | 27" | 10" |
| 2015 | 22" | — | 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 · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
Northern pike · Hardbaits
Buzzbait
3/8–1/2 oz buzzbait with a clacker blade and skirted single hook
Yellow perch · Live bait
Clip-On Bobber + Worm
half to whole garden nightcrawler
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Northern Pike | 1,076 fingerlings |
| 2025 | Walleye | 112,500 fry |
| 2025 | Yellow Perch | 7,500 adults |
| 2024 | Yellow Perch | 400 adults |
| 2023 | Northern Pike | 532 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Northern Pike | 181 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 1,333,160 fry |
| 2019 | Northern Pike | 763 adults |
| 2017 | Northern Pike | 310 adults |
| 2016 | Northern Pike | 603 adults |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2023 survey
Flaherty Lake is a 450-acre lake located four miles north of the City of Lakefield in Jackson County. Flaherty Lake has a maximum depth of 6.0 feet, and typically has poor water clarity conditions during most of the open water season. Flaherty Lake outlets into a private ditch at the southwest corner of the lake, then flows approximately 1.5 miles downstream into South Heron Lake. Despite a 30 foot drop in elevation from Flaherty Lake to South Heron Lake, fish are able to emigrate from South Heron when water is high. Fisheries management by MNDNR has only occurred on Flahtery Lake since 2015, when a public access was acquired by Jackson County Conservation League. Historically, Flaherty Lake has provided good Yellow Perch and Northern Pike fishing; therefore, the lake is managed primarily for Northern Pike and secondarily for Yellow Perch. In 2021, Flaherty Lake was used as a Walleye rearing pond, so a fishable population of Walleye is also present. A standard survey was conducted the week of July 5, 2023 to monitor fish populations using one gill net and nine trap nets.
Despite extensive stockings over the years, only one Northern Pike was sampled in the 2023 survey. Northern Pike adults or fingerlings were stocked in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023. The one Northern Pike that was caught was 24.5 inches in length. Northern Pike could be moving downstream into South Heron Lake when water levels are high enough to do so, or the Northern Pike simply weren't active during the survey. Additionally, our angler reports have indicated high catch rates of Northern Pike on Flaherty. Northern Pike will continue to be stocked in Flaherty Lake if available.
Read the full DNR narrative
Since 2015, the Yellow Perch catch rate was 44.0 to 69.0 per gill net. In 2023, the Yellow Perch catch rate was 1.0 per gill net, which is below the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (2.7 to 25.0 per gill net). The trap net catch rate was 2.1 per trap net, which is within the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (0.3 to 3.8 per trap net). Lengths of Yellow Perch ranged from 4.4 to 7.4 and averaged 5.8 inches. The abundant Walleye population may be decimating the Yellow Perch population through predation. Adult pre-spawn Yellow Perch will likely be stocked in the spring of 2024.
The 2023 Walleye catch rate was 34.0 per gill net, which is the highest catch rate observed on Flaherty Lake, and greatly exceeds the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (2.3 to 18.1 per gill net). The catch was dominated by age-2 Walleye (2021 year class), which comprised 91 percent of aged Walleye. Walleye lengths ranged from 11.4 to 22.5 inches and averaged 15.4 inches. Mean length at capture (July 5, 2023) of the age-2 Walleye was 15.1 inches, suggesting that Walleye grow very fast in Flaherty Lake. Two other year classes of Walleye were sampled including age-1 and age-7. Flaherty Lake has shown that it can be effective at producing Walleye, so it is likely that opportunistic fry stocking will continue in the future.
The 2023 Black Bullhead catch rate was 40.6 per trap net, which is above the long-term average of 18.9 per trap net, but within the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (11.5 to 132.6 per trap net). Lengths of Black Bullhead ranged from 3.6 to 9.9 inches and averaged 5.9 inches.
A Freshwater Drum was sampled in the survey, marking the first time that this species has been captured at Flaherty Lake. The Freshwater Drum was 9.3 inches in length and our best guess is it was likely moved in through an angler's bait bucket. Other species sampled included Bigmouth Buffalo, Common Carp, Orangespotted Sunfish, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Flahtery Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Flahtery 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
- Flahtery Lake Public Water Access (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Flahtery Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Heron (South Heron) Lake · 2,641 ac · 2.3 mi
- Timber Lake · 191 ac · 5.2 mi
- String Lake · 336 ac · 7.6 mi
- Independence Lake · 99 ac · 7.7 mi
- Clear Lake · 434 ac · 10 mi
- Fish Lake · 297 ac · 10.4 mi
- Cottonwood Lake · 155 ac · 10.7 mi
- Bingham Lake · 270 ac · 14.3 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Flahtery Lake?
Flahtery Lake reaches 6.2 ft at its deepest point.
How big is Flahtery Lake?
Flahtery Lake covers 457 acres with about 4.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Flahtery Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Flahtery Lake average 1 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Flahtery Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, northern pike, yellow perch.
Is Flahtery Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked northern pike, walleye and yellow perch in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Flahtery Lake have a public access?
Yes. Flahtery Lake has one public access site: Flahtery Lake Public Water Access (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Flahtery Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 22"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2015.
When was Flahtery Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Flahtery Lake in 2023, the most recent of 3 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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