Minnesota · Swift County
Oliver (west portion) Lake Fishing guide
Oliver (west portion) Lake sits in Swift County, Minnesota, and covers 218 acres, reaching 14 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 8.2 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 5 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Excellent numbers6per gill net6"Typical27"Biggest
Lengths measured · 541 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 93 fish
2025Lengths measured · 7 fish
2024Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 4 fish
2023Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 448 fish
2022Smallmouth bassFair numbers8.3per hr (electrofishing)3"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 258 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 91 fish
2025Lengths measured · 167 fish
2022Lengths measured · 28 fish
2019BluegillFair numbers27.9per trap net1"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 10884 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 10520 fish
2025Lengths measured · 364 fish
2022Lengths measured · 394 fish
2019CrappieJust a few0.7per trap net1"Typical13"Biggest
Lengths measured · 5705 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 5559 fish
2025Lengths measured · 146 fish
2022Lengths measured · 204 fish
2019Yellow perchExcellent numbers16.3per gill net8"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 104 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 91 fish
2025Lengths measured · 13 fish
2022Lengths measured · 171 fish
2019Rates 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 Oliver (west portion) 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.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows. A 14-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Smallmouth bass
- Spring
- Smallmouth are on shallow rock, gravel and sand where they spawn.
- Early summer
- Smallmouth are post-spawn on rock points, gravel bars and the adjacent breaks.
- Summer
- Smallmouth are on rock humps, points and hard-bottom breaks.
- Fall
- Smallmouth are bunched tight on deep rock, so find one and you have found the school. A 14-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 | Smallmouth bass | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 27" | 19" | 29" |
| 2024 | 7" | — | — |
| 2023 | 6" | — | — |
| 2022 | 26" | 18" | — |
| 2019 | 31" | 8" | — |
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
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Ned Rig
2.75" finesse stickbait or craw-style Ned bait
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)
4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic
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 | 100,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 101,141 fry |
| 2021 | SPO | 3,534 adults |
| 2021 | Walleye | 100,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Oliver Lake is in western Swift County, approximately nine miles north of Appleton. The lake is split into an east basin (455 acres) and west basin (212 acres) by Swift County Highway 5. A culvert exists under the highway and the basins typically have similar fish communities. This survey was conducted on West Oliver Lake to collect routine fish data using gill nets, trap nets and electrofishing. These data can be compared to historical Standard and Targeted Surveys from West Oliver Lake.
West Oliver Lake has been a good walleye fishery for many years. Walleyes were moderately abundant in 2025 with a relatively high number between 14 and 19 inches. Some larger fish over 20 inches were also present. The walleye population has primarily been maintained by fry stocking, with smaller contributions by stocked fingerlings and yearlings. Some natural reproduction has been observed in recent years as well.
Read the full DNR narrative
A substantial population of smallmouth bass has become established in West Oliver Lake, with fish up to 19 inches present.
Yellow perch numbers in 2025 were higher than in recent years. Many perch were between 8 and 9.5 inches, with the largest measuring over 11 inches. Moderate numbers of bluegills were present, but few were over 7 inches. Black crappie populations tend to fluctuate widely in prairie lakes, and West Oliver Lake is no exception. Although black crappies have been abundant at times historically, but very few were caught in 2025.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Oliver (west portion) Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Oliver (west portion) 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
- Oliver Lake West (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Oliver (west portion) Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Lake Oliver · 686 ac · 1.4 mi
- Oliver (east portion) Lake · 467 ac · 1.4 mi
- Artichoke Lake · 1,971 ac · 4.6 mi
- Dry Wood Lake · 404 ac · 4.8 mi
- Long Lake · 395 ac · 6.3 mi
- Shible Lake · 340 ac · 6.6 mi
- Marsh Lake · 4,462 ac · 11.8 mi
- Lake Hattie · 459 ac · 12.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Oliver (west portion) Lake?
Oliver (west portion) Lake reaches 14 ft at its deepest point.
How big is Oliver (west portion) Lake?
Oliver (west portion) Lake covers 218 acres with about 3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Oliver (west portion) Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Oliver (west portion) Lake average 8.2 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Oliver (west portion) Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Oliver (west portion) Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2021.
Does Oliver (west portion) Lake have a public access?
Yes. Oliver (west portion) Lake has one public access site: Oliver Lake West (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Oliver (west portion) Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 27"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2019.
When was Oliver (west portion) Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Oliver (west portion) Lake in 2025, the most recent of 5 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 Oliver (west portion) Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
Open Oliver (west portion) Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report