Minnesota · Douglas County
Lake Cowdrey Fishing guide
Lake Cowdrey is a 243-acre lake in Douglas County, Minnesota, reaching 52 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 14.6 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 11 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers1.3per gill net19"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 10 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 10 fish
2025Lengths measured · 5 fish
2019Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 18 fish
2013Lengths measured · 13 fish
2008Largemouth bassFair numbers38.8per hr (electrofishing)11"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 74 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 74 fish
2025Lengths measured · 121 fish
2019Lengths measured · 46 fish
2013Lengths measured · 123 fish
2008No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeFair numbers8.5per gill net20"Typical28"Biggest
Lengths measured · 53 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 53 fish
2025Lengths measured · 31 fish
2019Lengths measured · 60 fish
2013Lengths measured · 59 fish
2008BluegillJust a few17.2per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 382 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 382 fish
2025Lengths measured · 384 fish
2019Lengths measured · 158 fish
2013Lengths measured · 448 fish
2008CrappieJust a few0.3per trap net8"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 11 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 11 fish
2025Lengths measured · 20 fish
2019Lengths measured · 32 fish
2013Lengths measured · 33 fish
2008Rock bassFair numbers1per gill net7"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 10 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 10 fish
2025Lengths measured · 47 fish
2019Lengths measured · 5 fish
2013Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 9 fish
2008Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Rates 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 Cowdrey through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 14.6 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. On a lake that drops to 52 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. At 14.6 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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 52 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26" | 18" | 28" |
| 2019 | 22" | 20" | 27" |
| 2013 | 27" | 17" | 31" |
| 2008 | 26" | 16" | 29" |
| 2003 | 24" | 18" | 32" |
| 1998 | 25" | 17" | 26" |
| 1994 | 20" | 15" | 30" |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | 1,125 fingerlings |
| 2024 | Walleye | 1,765 fingerlings |
| 2023 | Walleye | 2,000 fingerlings |
| 2022 | Walleye | 2,220 fingerlings |
| 2020 | Walleye | 888 fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 356 fingerlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 1,836 fingerlings · 9 adults |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Lake Cowdry is a 243-acre moderately fertile basin located a few miles northwest of downtown Alexandria in Douglas County. Maximum and mean depths are approximately 52 and 25 feet, respectively. Lake Cowdry lies within the Long Prairie River watershed. Primary inflows come from Taylor Lake via a navigable (small boats only) culvert under Lake Cowdry Road NW. The lake outflows to Lake Darling via a channel that runs under the Central Lakes Trail. A concrete leveling sill within this channel limits navigation to mostly non-motorized watercraft (canoes, paddleboards, kayaks, etc.). Residential development surrounds the majority of the shoreline. Water quality and clarity are considered good and have further increased in recent years following zebra mussel infestation. Secchi disk readings often exceed 15 feet during summer months. A public water access is located on the northeast shore off of E Lake Cowdry Road.
A standard lake survey was completed during summer 2025 to assess the fish community of Lake Cowdry. Survey methodology included electrofishing, gill nets, and trap nets. Survey results were indicative of a typical bass-panfish fishery found in smaller, heavily vegetated basins in west-central Minnesota. Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike were abundant but most of the catch was comprised of small- to medium-sized fish. Mean size of bass collected with electrofishing was 10.8 inches but bass up to 18.9 inches were sampled. Mean length of Northern Pike was 21.0 inches. Very few pike exceeding the upper end of the North-central zone protected slot limit (i.e., 26 inches) were captured. Anglers are encouraged to harvest these surplus smaller pike that are below the protected slot limit (i.e., 22 inches).
Read the full DNR narrative
Panfishes dominated net catches in 2025. Bluegill, Pumpkinseed and hybrid sunfishes are all abundant. These populations consist of mainly smaller fish in Lake Cowdry, but a few sunfish over 8 inches were observed in the survey. Bluegill growth rates are slow, most of the Bluegill over 8 inches were at least 10 years old. Black Crappie catch rates were low, but they are typically hard to sample in these mid-summer surveys. Large schools of Black Crappie were observed in shallow water during the spring Largemouth Bass survey. Yellow Perch were present but this population is limited and is typically not targeted by anglers. Walleye were also present in small numbers due to previous stockings and likely emigration from connected basins. Regular Walleye fingerling stockings were discontinued by the MN DNR in 2016 due to extremely poor survival of stocked fingerlings. The current stocking strategy consists of surplus stockings of larger Walleye, when available, to maintain a limited fishery.
Other fish species sampled during the 2025 survey include Bowfin (Dogfish), Brown Bullhead, Common Carp, Rock Bass, Shorthead Redhorse, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead. The next standard MN DNR lake survey is tentatively scheduled for 2031.
Lake Cowdry is designated as an infested waterbody due to the presence of zebra mussels. This infestation was first confirmed in 2011. For more information regarding zebra mussels and other aquatic invasive species in Minnesota, see the following: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/aquatic/index.html.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Lake Cowdrey fishing reports
Recent reports on Lake Cowdrey 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
- Cowdry Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Lake Cowdrey depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Lottie Lake · 46 ac · 0.5 mi
- Lake Stony · 87 ac · 0.7 mi
- North Union Lake · 118 ac · 1.1 mi
- Lake Brophy · 297 ac · 1.2 mi
- Lake Darling · 1,050 ac · 1.6 mi
- Lake Winona · 213 ac · 1.7 mi
- Lake Louise · 215 ac · 2 mi
- Lake Latoka · 767 ac · 2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Lake Cowdrey?
Lake Cowdrey reaches 52 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 25 ft; about 35% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Lake Cowdrey?
Lake Cowdrey covers 243 acres with about 3.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Lake Cowdrey?
DNR Secchi readings on Lake Cowdrey average 14.6 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Lake Cowdrey?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Lake Cowdrey stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2018.
Does Lake Cowdrey have a public access?
Yes. Lake Cowdrey has one public access site: Cowdry Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Lake Cowdrey?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 26"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1994.
When was Lake Cowdrey last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Lake Cowdrey in 2025, the most recent of 11 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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