Minnesota · Meeker County
Manuella Lake Fishing guide
Manuella Lake sits in Meeker County, Minnesota, and covers 293 acres, reaching 51 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 5.9 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 22 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 numbers2.6per gill net20"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 32 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2025Lengths measured · 10 fish
2025Lengths measured · 22 fish
2021Lengths measured · 22 fish
2020Lengths measured · 19 fish
2019Largemouth bassFair numbers23.7per hr (electrofishing)10"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 46 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024 + 2025Lengths measured · 12 fish
2025Lengths measured · 2 fish
2024Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 32 fish
2021Lengths measured · 27 fish
2020Smallmouth bassPresent2per gill net15"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 24 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2025Lengths measured · 4 fish
2025Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 20 fish
2021Lengths measured · 9 fish
2020Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 16 fish
2019Northern pikeFair numbers7per gill net22"Typical36"Biggest
Lengths measured · 85 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024 + 2025Lengths measured · 30 fish
2025Lengths measured · 2 fish
2024Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 53 fish
2021Lengths measured · 42 fish
2020BluegillJust a few17per trap net4"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 1429 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024 + 2025Lengths measured · 264 fish
2025Lengths measured · 930 fish
2025Lengths measured · 129 fish
2024Lengths measured · 106 fish
2021CrappieJust a few0.2per trap net6"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 238 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024 + 2025Lengths measured · 28 fish
2025Lengths measured · 131 fish
2025Lengths measured · 1 fish
2024Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 78 fish
2021Last recorded in the 1974 survey and not seen since.
Last recorded in the 1993 survey and not seen since.
No recent survey rating.
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 Manuella 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. On a lake that drops to 51 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 51 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" | 16" | 34" |
| 2024 | — | 13" | 19" |
| 2021 | 25" | 19" | 36" |
| 2020 | 26" | 16" | 29" |
| 2019 | 22" | 14" | 35" |
| 2014 | 27" | 14" | 30" |
| 2008 | 25" | 16" | 30" |
| 2004 | 21" | 15" | 29" |
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
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
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 | 57,271 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 57,197 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 59,365 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 58,490 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 114,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species for Lake Manuella was conducted on August 26th and 27th, 2025 by Hutchinson area fisheries Staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all ten sampling stations. One station was electrofished from the boat. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample six stations, and a 15-foot seine was used for three stations. Site conditions prevented the use of seining at one station. Nearshore sampling captured 17 species of fish including three species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Iowa Darter, Blacknose Shiner and Banded Killifish) and one species (i.e., Green Sunfish) that is tolerant of disturbance.
The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from an August 2025 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI tool 2-shallow was used for scoring, which resulted in an FIBI score of 34. This score is below the general use impairment threshold (45) for this tool. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Banded Killifish, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Manuella Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Manuella 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
- Manuella Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Manuella Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Stella Lake · 599 ac · 1.5 mi
- Round Lake · 266 ac · 3.3 mi
- Greenleaf Lake · 238 ac · 3.3 mi
- Erie Lake · 190 ac · 3.5 mi
- Washington Lake · 2,438 ac · 3.8 mi
- Willie Lake · 192 ac · 4.3 mi
- Minnie-Belle Lake · 597 ac · 4.4 mi
- Belle Lake · 864 ac · 5.5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Manuella Lake?
Manuella Lake reaches 51 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 22 ft; about 39% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Manuella Lake?
Manuella Lake covers 293 acres with about 3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Manuella Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Manuella Lake average 5.9 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Manuella Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rainbow trout, brown trout, channel catfish.
Is Manuella Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Manuella Lake have a public access?
Yes. Manuella Lake has one public access site: Manuella Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Manuella Lake?
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 2004.
When was Manuella Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Manuella Lake in 2025, the most recent of 22 surveys on record.
Page updated .
Featured guide spot
Your guide service here
One featured guide per lake, with your photo, your writeup and a link straight to your booking page. Free through December 31, 2026.
Then $20 a month from January. Cancel any time.
The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Manuella Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
Open Manuella Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report