Minnesota · Douglas County
Lake Andrew Fishing guide
Lake Andrew is a 923-acre lake in Douglas County, Minnesota, reaching 83 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 9.3 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 16 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2024Excellent numbers11.4per gill net16"Typical30"Biggest
Lengths measured · 136 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 135 fish
2024Lengths measured · 1 fish
2022Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 109 fish
2020Lengths measured · 155 fish
2016Largemouth bassGood numbers53.6per hr (electrofishing)13"Typical17"Biggest
Lengths measured · 131 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 124 fish
2024Lengths measured · 7 fish
2022Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 27 fish
2020Lengths measured · 64 fish
2016Northern pikeGood numbers12.1per gill net20"Typical29"Biggest
Lengths measured · 157 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 145 fish
2024Lengths measured · 12 fish
2022Lengths measured · 151 fish
2020Lengths measured · 256 fish
2016BluegillFair numbers30.6per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 1129 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2023 + 2024Lengths measured · 446 fish
2024Lengths measured · 425 fish
2023Lengths measured · 258 fish
2022Lengths measured · 62 fish
2020CrappieJust a few0.9per trap net10"Typical13"Biggest
Lengths measured · 46 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2023 + 2024Lengths measured · 27 fish
2024Lengths measured · 17 fish
2023Lengths measured · 2 fish
2022Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 17 fish
2020Yellow perchGood numbers6.3per gill net5"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 77 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 75 fish
2024Lengths measured · 2 fish
2022Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 313 fish
2020Lengths measured · 77 fish
2016Rock bassElite fishery51.2per gill net7"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 621 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 613 fish
2024Lengths measured · 8 fish
2022Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 76 fish
2020Lengths measured · 14 fish
2016Rates 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 Lake Andrew 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. On a lake that drops to 83 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- 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. On a lake that drops to 83 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- 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 | 30" | 17" | 29" |
| 2022 | 16" | 12" | 23" |
| 2020 | 24" | 15" | 28" |
| 2016 | 24" | 17" | 29" |
| 2012 | 23" | 16" | 34" |
| 2011 | 28" | 17" | 29" |
| 2007 | 27" | 20" | 33" |
| 2003 | 27" | 19" | 31" |
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
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | 662,000 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 161,500 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 662,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 646,000 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 700,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
Lake Andrew is a 922-acre, moderately fertile basin located a few miles south of Alexandria. Maximum depth exceeds 80 feet. Mean depth is approximately 29 feet. Lake Andrew lies within the Long Prairie River watershed. Water quality and clarity are considered good. Water clarity has increased since establishment of zebra mussels and can now exceed 15 feet during summer months. Residential development surrounds much of the lake, but a large portion of the northern shoreline is undeveloped. A concrete public access is located on the southeast shoreline off Lake Andrew Road SW. Primary fish management efforts are focused on Walleye with bass and sunfish being species of secondary management importance.
A standard fisheries survey was completed in 2024 to assess the fish community and gain updated estimates of abundance and size structure of gamefish populations. Lake Andrew is well known as a quality Walleye fishery. Walleye abundance (11.4 fish/gill net) has increased in recent years and now exceeds levels expected for this type of lake. Eleven year classes were represented but two dominant year classes (2018 and 2022) accounted for almost 70% of the sample. Mean size of Walleye captured was 16.1 inches and 1.6 pounds. The largest Walleye sampled was 16 years old and measured over 30 inches. Lake Andrew also supports quality Largemouth Bass and panfish fisheries. Record-high Largemouth Bass abundance was documented in 2024. The bass sampled ranged from 6.3 to 16.6 inches with an average length of 12.9 inches. Panfish populations, particularly Bluegill and Black Crappie, are abundant. Current Bluegill size structure is considered good. Mean length of Bluegill captured was 6.6 inches for trap nets and 7.3 inches for gill nets. Maximum length exceeded 9 inches for both gears. To help maintain the size structure of this population, a special regulation that reduced the daily sunfish limit from 20 down to 10 was implemented in the spring of 2022. Current crappie size structure is also considered good. Mean and maximum lengths of Black Crappie sampled were 9.3 and 13.8 inches, respectively, for trap nets and 10.5 and 13.1 inches, respectively, for gill nets. Yellow Perch abundance has declined in recent years and is now considered low. Harvestable size perch are available but are not common. Northern Pike remained abundant (12.1 fish/gill net) and smaller fish continued to dominate this population. Average size was 20.9 inches and 2.0 pounds. The largest pike measured was just under 30 inches. Northern Pike zone regulations were implemented in 2018 to help improve pike size structure. Lake Andrew is in the North-Central Zone. Anglers can keep up to 10 pike but not more than two can be over 26 inches in length. All pike between 22-26 inches must be immediately released. For more information on Northern Pike zone regulations see: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/pike/index.html.
Read the full DNR narrative
Other species captured during the 2024 survey included Black, Brown and Yellow Bullhead, Bowfin (Dogfish), Green Sunfish, hybrid sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, and White Sucker. Rock Bass were particularly abundant with a record-high gill net catch of 51.2 per net. The next lake survey is tentatively scheduled for 2028.
Lake Andrew is designated as an infested waterbody due to presence of zebra mussels, which were first confirmed in 2016. For more information regarding aquatic invasive species in Minnesota see: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/aquatic/index.html.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Lake Andrew fishing reports
Recent reports on Lake Andrew 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
- Andrew Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Lake Andrew depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Lake Mary · 2,450 ac · 2.9 mi
- Mud Lake · 86 ac · 3.1 mi
- Turtle Lake · 218 ac · 3.4 mi
- Lake Latoka · 767 ac · 3.6 mi
- Union Lake · 107 ac · 3.8 mi
- Maple Lake · 831 ac · 3.9 mi
- Lake Burgan · 174 ac · 4.1 mi
- Lake Winona · 213 ac · 4.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Lake Andrew?
Lake Andrew reaches 83 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 29 ft; about 35% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Lake Andrew?
Lake Andrew covers 923 acres with about 5.6 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Lake Andrew?
DNR Secchi readings on Lake Andrew average 9.3 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Lake Andrew?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Lake Andrew stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Lake Andrew have a public access?
Yes. Lake Andrew has one public access site: Andrew Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Lake Andrew?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 30"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2003.
When was Lake Andrew last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Lake Andrew in 2024, the most recent of 16 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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