Minnesota · Douglas County
Pocket Lake Fishing guide
Pocket Lake is a 263-acre lake in Douglas County, Minnesota, reaching 40 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 4.9 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 11 times, most recently in 2022, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers2.8per gill net15"Typical24"Biggest
Lengths measured · 20 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 20 fish
2022Lengths measured · 23 fish
2016Lengths measured · 8 fish
2010Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 19 fish
2006Largemouth bassGood numbers58per hr (electrofishing)14"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 63 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 63 fish
2022Lengths measured · 48 fish
2016Lengths measured · 51 fish
2010Lengths measured · 71 fish
2006Northern pikeGood numbers10.2per gill net21"Typical32"Biggest
Lengths measured · 69 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 69 fish
2022Lengths measured · 54 fish
2016Lengths measured · 44 fish
2010Lengths measured · 145 fish
2006BluegillGood numbers66.3per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 823 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 823 fish
2022Lengths measured · 533 fish
2016Lengths measured · 188 fish
2010Lengths measured · 865 fish
2006CrappieJust a few8.3per trap net8"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 248 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 248 fish
2022Lengths measured · 314 fish
2016Lengths measured · 258 fish
2010Lengths measured · 429 fish
2006Yellow perchGood numbers4.5per gill net5"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 28 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 28 fish
2022Lengths measured · 241 fish
2016Lengths measured · 65 fish
2010Lengths measured · 191 fish
2006Rates 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 Pocket Lake through the year
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 40 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.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth.
- 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. On a lake that drops to 40 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
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 | Largemouth bass | Northern pike | Walleye |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 18" | 32" | 24" |
| 2016 | 16" | 30" | 22" |
| 2010 | 19" | 32" | 22" |
| 2006 | 18" | 35" | 25" |
| 2002 | 19" | 30" | 25" |
| 1998 | 18" | 30" | 24" |
| 1994 | 18" | 26" | 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:
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 · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
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
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 | 7 adults |
| 2022 | Walleye | 1,785 fingerlings |
| 2020 | Walleye | 127 fingerlings · 171 yearlings · 105 adults |
| 2018 | Walleye | 134 fingerlings · 343 yearlings · 3 adults |
| 2016 | Walleye | 440 adults |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2022 survey
Pocket Lake is a 263-acre relatively shallow, productive basin located in southcentral Douglas County within the Long Prairie watershed. Mean and maximum depths are 15 and 40 feet, respectively. This lake is not highly developed and recreational pressure is minimal. A public access is located on the southwest shoreline. A popular shore fishing spot is located on the north shoreline off of County Road 4. Pocket Lake is designated as an infested waterbody due to the presence of zebra mussels, which were first confirmed in 2016.
A standard lake survey was completed during summer 2022 to assess the fish community and gain updated estimates of abundance and size structure of gamefish populations. Survey results were indicative of a typical bass-panfish lake found in west-central Minnesota. Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Black Crappie, and Bluegill were all abundant. The size structure of bass and pike populations were favorable. Bass exceeding 15 inches and pike exceeding 26 inches were sampled in good numbers. The largest bass measured over 18 inches and the largest pike measured just shy of 33 inches. Pike anglers are reminded that this basin falls in the North-central Zone where anglers can now 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. Panfish populations on this basin tend to "stunt" and are typically dominated by small- to medium-sized individuals. In the 2022 survey, high numbers of Black Crappie and Bluegill were observed but no crappie exceeded 10 inches and very few Bluegill exceeded 8 inches. Anglers are encouraged to harvest these surplus smaller fish to help reduce density, increase growth rates, and improve size structure of these populations. The Walleye population in this lake typically exhibits low to moderate abundance but moderate to high size structure. Average size of the 2022 gill net sample was 17 inches and almost 2 pounds. Record-low Yellow Perch abundance was documented in 2022 and most perch sampled were small individuals. Harvestable-size perch are rare on this basin.
Read the full DNR narrative
Other species sampled in 2022 included Bowfin (dogfish), Brown and Yellow Bullhead, Common Carp, Green Sunfish, hybrid sunfish, Pumpkinseed, and White Sucker. The next lake survey is tentatively scheduled for 2028.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Pocket Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Pocket 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
- Pocket Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Pocket Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Lake Rachel · 448 ac · 1.9 mi
- Grant Lake · 177 ac · 2.8 mi
- Lake Mary · 2,450 ac · 3 mi
- Blackwell Lake · 307 ac · 3 mi
- Mill Lake · 451 ac · 4.1 mi
- Grill Lake · 67 ac · 4.2 mi
- Freeborn Lake · 248 ac · 4.8 mi
- Lake Oscar · 997 ac · 5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Pocket Lake?
Pocket Lake reaches 40 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 15 ft; about 42% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Pocket Lake?
Pocket Lake covers 263 acres with about 4.3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Pocket Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Pocket Lake average 4.9 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Pocket Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2022) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Pocket Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Pocket Lake have a public access?
Yes. Pocket Lake has one public access site: Pocket Lake (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Pocket Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 18"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1994.
When was Pocket Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Pocket Lake in 2022, the most recent of 11 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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