Minnesota · Pope County
Malmedal Lake Fishing guide
Malmedal Lake covers 199 acres in Pope County, Minnesota, reaching 10 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 2.2 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 3 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, northern pike, bluegill and crappie in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Good numbers5.3per gill net14"Typical21"Biggest
Lengths measured · 16 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 9 fish
2025Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 7 fish
2022Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 128 fish
2010Northern pikeGood numbers13.7per gill net21"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 41 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 17 fish
2025Lengths measured · 24 fish
2022Lengths measured · 28 fish
2010Yellow perchLast stocked 2023Excellent numbers14per gill net7"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 42 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 23 fish
2025Lengths measured · 19 fish
2022Lengths measured · 52 fish
2010Rates 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 Malmedal Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 2.2 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. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows. A 10-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 2.2 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. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops. A 10-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 16" | 25" | 10" |
| 2022 | 21" | 26" | 9" |
| 2010 | 17" | 26" | 13" |
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 · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
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 | Walleye | 99,500 fry |
| 2024 | Walleye | 98,000 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 199,000 fry |
| 2023 | Yellow Perch | 1,920 yearlings · 50 adults |
| 2022 | Walleye | 199,500 fry |
| 2022 | Yellow Perch | 1,020 yearlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Malmedal Lake is a shallow, turbid basin with an extensive history of low dissolved oxygen levels during winter months. Frequent partial winterkill events have occurred; however, they have been poorly documented. Poor water clarity limits aquatic vegetation abundance. A permanent fish barrier was installed on Trapper's Run Creek (downstream of Malmedal Lake) in 1993 to prevent recolonization of undesirable fish species in Strandness and Malmedal Lakes following severe winterkill. However, sustained presence of carp and bullheads in the fish community indicates total winterkill of the system has not occurred, or the barrier is not effective.
A targeted survey consisting of a single gill net was conducted on August 28, 2025, to provide insight into the fish community of Lake Malmedal following the 2023 winterkill. Walleye relative abundance (9.0/gill net) was higher than the 2022 targeted survey (3.5/gillnet), but much lower than the 2010 survey (50.5/gill net). Limited extent of the winterkill or quick recolonization may have increased competition with Northern Pike and Black Bullhead (194.0/gill net). However, the 2023 fry stocking after the winterkill was successful, accounting for all the Walleye sampled. Growth was fast, with fish averaging 14.6 inches at age 2.
Read the full DNR narrative
Yellow Perch abundance (23.0/gill net) was the same as the 2010 survey, and higher than 2022 (9.5/gill net). In recent years, attempts have been made to increase the perch population in Lake Malmedal through stocking. However, the perch stocking in 2022 was likely eliminated because of the winterkill in 2023, with no fish older than age 2 being sampled. Natural reproduction, either by the 2023 stocking or migrants, do appear to have created the 2023 and 2024 year classes that are currently present in the lake. Mean length was 8.2 inches, but growth is extremely fast as evident by a 10.6-inch individual.
Northern Pike were abundant (17.0/gill net), and the size structure was poor (averaged 19.5 inches). The largest pike sampled was 25.6 inches. These fish are assumed to be competing with Walleye stocking efforts and directly predating upon perch stockings. However, with several ditch and stream connections, including Trapper's Run Creek, pike will always persist in Lake Malmedal at moderate to high densities. Other species sampled include Black Bullhead, Black Crappie, Bluegill and Common Carp.
Lake Malmedal is currently not an infested water. Aquatic invasive species are easily moved from infested to non-infested waters and can negatively affect lakes and fish populations. For more information regarding aquatic invasive species see the following: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/aquatic/index.html.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Malmedal Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Malmedal 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
- Malmedal Lake (carry-in)
DNR bathymetry
Malmedal Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Strandness Lake · 92 ac · 1 mi
- Pelican Lake · 518 ac · 4.1 mi
- Ann Lake · 370 ac · 4.9 mi
- Lake Minnewaska · 8,050 ac · 5 mi
- Lake Reno · 3,809 ac · 7 mi
- Pocket Lake · 263 ac · 8.5 mi
- Lake Rachel · 448 ac · 8.9 mi
- Signalness Lake · 42 ac · 9 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Malmedal Lake?
Malmedal Lake reaches 10 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 6 ft; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Malmedal Lake?
Malmedal Lake covers 199 acres with about 3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Malmedal Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Malmedal Lake average 2.2 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Malmedal Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Malmedal Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2022.
Does Malmedal Lake have a public access?
Yes. Malmedal Lake has one public access site: Malmedal Lake (carry-in).
How big do walleye get in Malmedal Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 21"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2010.
When was Malmedal Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Malmedal Lake in 2025, the most recent of 3 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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