Minnesota · Carver County

Riley Lake Fishing guide

Riley Lake is a 296-acre lake in Carver County, Minnesota, reaching 49 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 8.3 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 10 times, most recently in 2021, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.

Open the live map → Survey data

Depth to 49 ft · top 5 summer marks

Surface296 ac

Max depth49 ft

Mean21 ft

Clarity8.3 ft

Littoral37%

Surveyed2021

How to fish Riley 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 49 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.

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 49 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	Walleye	Northern pike	Largemouth bass
2021	25"	38"	13"
2015	26"	36"	6"
2011	24"	34"	17"
2005	23"	39"	14"
1999	27"	35"	20"
1995	22"	34"	12"

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

8–35 ftslow

Shop octopus hooks →

Walleye · Trolling

Leadcore Line + Crankbaits

4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run

15–45 fttrolling

Shop deep-diving crankbaits →

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 · Muskie & pike

Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)

10" soft rubber body bait

3–25 ftslow

Shop musky rubber →

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

Free Rig

Creature bait or magnum finesse worm

8–30 ftdead slowweedless

Shop creature baits →

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
2022	Walleye	1,800 fingerlings
2019	Walleye	2,500 yearlings
2018	Walleye	2,000 yearlings
2017	Walleye	1,500 fingerlings
2016	Walleye	3,000 fingerlings

MN DNR · in their words

From the 2021 survey

Lake Riley is a 296-acre lake with a maximum depth of 49 feet. The lake is located west of Eden Prairie, and Walleye are stocked each year by the lake association. During the summer of 2021, water clarity was neither extremely high nor extremely low, and the lake held good levels of dissolved oxygen to a depth of 32 feet. Zebra mussels and Eurasian watermilfoil are present in Riley.

In 2021, a special regulation for Bluegill and Crappie was implemented; anglers are now allowed to harvest only 5 fish of each species. The goal of the regulation is to reduce harvest of panfish so that they can live longer and grow to a larger size. A Standard Survey was conducted during the summer of 2021 to assess the gamefish populations.

Read the full DNR narrative

Walleye were caught in low numbers in 2021, and a broad range of sizes of fish were present. Annual Walleye stocking by the lake association began in 2015, and the fish in the 2021 survey give a snapshot of the population that those efforts have established. Fish lengths were between 9 and 26 inches, with an average of 18 inches. The presence of smaller fish shows that recent stockings have been successful. Although not highly abundant, Walleye are persisting in the lake.

Northern Pike were sampled in high numbers in 2021, and fish size was good. Lengths were between 18 and 39 inches, with an average of 27 inches. A lot of the fish were in the 22 to 26 inch protected slot, and 40% of the catch exceeded 26 inches. Riley should provide quality Northern Pike fishing for both catch and release and harvest angling.

Bluegill were moderately abundant and tended to be smaller in size. Fish lengths were between 2 and 8 inches, with a 5 inch average. Since Bluegill were not highly abundant in Riley, competition for food should not limit their growth. With a reduction in harvest from the new 5 fish possession limit, these fish will hopefully live longer, and attain greater size. It takes a Bluegill 8 years to reach 8 inches in Riley.

Black Crappie were caught in low numbers, but size was good. Fish lengths were between 5 and 11 inches, with a 7 inch average. Twenty percent of the catch were larger than 9 inches.

Yellow Bullhead were highly abundant in 2021. Fish lengths were between 8 and 12 inches, with a 10 inch average.

Other fishes caught in low abundance included Black Bullhead, Brown Bullhead, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, and Yellow Perch.

Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.

Recent reports

Riley Lake fishing reports

Recent reports on Riley 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

Carver County reports

Public water access

Getting on the water

Riley Lake (trailer launch)
Riley Lake Fishing Pier (fishing pier)

DNR bathymetry

Riley Lake depth map

Riley Lake depth contour map, Carver County, Minnesota — Depth contours to 49 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

Susan Lake · 88 ac · 1.4 mi
Mitchell Lake · 114 ac · 2 mi
Red Rock Lake · 97 ac · 2.5 mi
Round Lake · 31 ac · 2.7 mi
Lotus Lake · 245 ac · 2.8 mi
Ann Lake · 116 ac · 3 mi
Lucy Lake · 88 ac · 3.4 mi
Staring Lake · 167 ac · 3.4 mi

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

How deep is Riley Lake?

Riley Lake reaches 49 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 21 ft; about 37% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).

How big is Riley Lake?

Riley Lake covers 296 acres with about 3.3 miles of shoreline.

How clear is the water in Riley Lake?

DNR Secchi readings on Riley Lake average 8.3 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.

What fish are in Riley Lake?

Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2021) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.

Is Riley Lake stocked?

Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2022; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.

Does Riley Lake have a public access?

Yes. Riley Lake has 2 public access sites, including Riley Lake (trailer launch).

How big do walleye get in Riley Lake?

The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 25"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.

When was Riley Lake last surveyed?

The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Riley Lake in 2021, the most recent of 10 surveys on record.

Page updated September 22, 2026.

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

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