Minnesota · Douglas County

Red Rock Lake Fishing guide

Red Rock Lake covers 904 acres in Douglas County, Minnesota, reaching 22 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 9.9 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 15 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.

Open the live map → Survey data

Depth to 22 ft · top 5 summer marks

Surface904 ac

Max depth22 ft

Mean9.1 ft

Clarity9.9 ft

Littoral57%

Surveyed2025

How to fish Red Rock 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.

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.
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	23"	18"	33"
2019	26"	18"	38"
2014	22"	20"	36"
2010	27"	19"	33"
2006	28"	18"	32"
2002	27"	16"	38"
1998	24"	10"	34"
1993	27"	20"	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

Slip Bobber + Leech

jumbo or large leech

4–20 ftdead slow

Shop octopus hooks →

Walleye · Trolling

Planer Board Spread

4–6" crankbait or a 5–6 ft crawler harness run out to the side on an in-line planer board

5–30 fttrolling

Shop deep-diving crankbaits →

Largemouth bass · Soft plastics

Texas-Rigged Worm

7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm

1–25 ftdead slow

Shop plastic worms →

Largemouth bass · Soft plastics

Wacky-Rigged Stickworm

5" stickworm

1–12 ftdead slowweedless

Shop stickworms →

Northern pike · Soft plastics

Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead

4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead

3–25 ftmoderate

Shop paddletail swimbaits →

Northern pike · Trolling

Muskie Trolling (big cranks)

8–10" large diving crankbait rated for the target depth

8–30 fttrolling

Shop musky crankbaits →

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	8,209 fingerlings
2024	Walleye	6,000 fingerlings
2023	Walleye	11,702 fingerlings
2022	Walleye	6,000 fingerlings
2021	Walleye	7,138 fingerlings
2019	Walleye	19,203 fingerlings
2017	Walleye	9,272 fingerlings

MN DNR · in their words

From the 2025 survey

Red Rock Lake is a 902-acre shallow lake located approximately seven miles northeast of Hoffman. Maximum depth is 22 feet. Average depth is estimated at 9 feet. Water transparency has improved over time, averaging over 10 feet during early summer months since 2010. A trend in increasing water clarity is expected to continue with the discovery of zebra mussels in 2022. The basin's high fertility can cause reductions in water clarity due to algal growth, particularly in late summer and after heavy winds. Most residential development is limited to the north basin of Red Rock Lake. A public access is located along the east shoreline. This access is shallow and launching larger boats during low water levels can be problematic.

A standard fisheries survey was completed in 2025 to evaluate abundance and size distribution of gamefish populations. Survey methodology included a spring electrofishing survey, completed May 23, to effectively sample the Largemouth Bass population. The gill netting component of the standard survey was completed June 2-5. In 2022 a special regulation was implemented that reduced the daily sunfish limit from 20 down to 10. As an evaluation requirement of this special regulation, trap netting was conducted during the spring (April 30-May 2) when panfish are more susceptible to capture. These sampling practices will be standard protocol for future fisheries surveys on Red Rock Lake.

Read the full DNR narrative

Red Rock Lake supports a healthy Walleye fishery, which is supplemented with combined fingerling stockings by the MN DNR and private user groups. Gill net catch rates of 7.7 Walleye/net exceeded management objectives and were the highest on record. Walleye grow rapidly in this productive basin and typically reach 15.1 inches by age 3. The largest Walleye was 23.6 inches, and 52% of the Walleyes were larger than 15.0 inches.

Northern Pike abundance remained at a desirable level (6.9/gill net). Average length was 23.6 inches. The largest pike measured 33.1 inches. Anglers are reminded that new pike zone regulations were implemented in 2018. Red Rock Lake is located in the North-Central Zone. 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. Harvesting smaller pike can help shift the population towards larger individuals and reduce the number of predators for young Walleye and other gamefish.

Largemouth Bass proved to be moderately abundant. Growth rates are well above average with bass reaching 12.0 inches by age 3. Size structure of the electrofishing catch described a quality fishery. Seventy-one percent of the Largemouth Bass sampled were over 12.0 inches and the largest bass observed was 18.5 inches.

Bluegill catch rates (16.0 fish/trap net) were moderate in 2025. Many large Bluegill were observed during the survey. Sixty-six percent of the Bluegill were over 8 inches in length. Growth rates of Bluegill in Red Rock Lake are fast and 6-year-old fish averaged almost 9.3 inches. The largest Bluegill observed in the survey was over 10.2 inches. Black Crappie catch rates were high and the majority of fish were age 5 and younger. 26% of the fish were greater than 10 inches in length. Black Crappie growth rates are moderate; average length of age 4 fish was 9.0 inches. The largest Black Crappie in the sample was 14.0 inches and the oldest crappie was 11 years old. Yellow Perch numbers were low during the 2025 survey. Perch are preferred prey for Walleye, Northern Pike, and Largemouth Bass. Significant predation likely limits the Yellow Perch population from maintaining a size structure appealing to anglers.

The only other species sampled during the 2025 survey were Black, Brown, and Yellow Bullhead. The next standard lake survey is tentatively scheduled for 2031.

Red Rock Lake was designated as an infested waterbody after the discovery of zebra mussels in 2022. Recreational users should take necessary precautions to prevent further spread of invasive species. Drain all water and remove all aquatic vegetation from your boat and trailer when leaving any body of water.

Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.

Recent reports

Red Rock Lake fishing reports

Recent reports on Red Rock 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.

Open the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report

Douglas County reports

Public water access

Getting on the water

Red Rock Lake (trailer launch)

DNR bathymetry

Red Rock Lake depth map

Red Rock Lake depth contour map, Douglas County, Minnesota — Depth contours to 22 ft from Minnesota DNR bathymetry, free to save or print. The live map adds ranked spots and conditions on the same contours.

Within 30 miles

Nearby lakes

Lower Elk Lake · 131 ac · 3.5 mi
Elk Lake · 207 ac · 4.6 mi
Lake Oscar · 997 ac · 5.2 mi
Freeborn Lake · 248 ac · 6 mi
Thompson Lake · 154 ac · 6.1 mi
Gilbert Lake · 202 ac · 7.1 mi
Crooked Lake · 284 ac · 7.1 mi
Long Lake · 202 ac · 7.3 mi

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

How deep is Red Rock Lake?

Red Rock Lake reaches 22 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 9.1 ft; about 57% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).

How big is Red Rock Lake?

Red Rock Lake covers 904 acres with about 11.7 miles of shoreline.

How clear is the water in Red Rock Lake?

DNR Secchi readings on Red Rock Lake average 9.9 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.

What fish are in Red Rock Lake?

Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass, channel catfish.

Is Red Rock Lake stocked?

Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.

Does Red Rock Lake have a public access?

Yes. Red Rock Lake has one public access site: Red Rock Lake (trailer launch).

How big do walleye get in Red Rock Lake?

The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 23"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1993.

When was Red Rock Lake last surveyed?

The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Red Rock Lake in 2025, the most recent of 15 surveys on record.

Page updated September 22, 2026.

The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Red Rock Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:

Open Red Rock Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report