Minnesota · Meeker County
Ripley (west portion) Lake Fishing guide
Ripley (west portion) Lake covers 614 acres in Meeker County, Minnesota, reaching 18 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 4.9 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 15 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeGood numbers4.7per gill net13"Typical25"Biggest
Lengths measured · 42 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 42 fish
2021Lengths measured · 40 fish
2015Lengths measured · 24 fish
2010Lengths measured · 38 fish
2005Largemouth bassPresent1.7per gill net13"Typical21"Biggest
Lengths measured · 437 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2022Lengths measured · 422 fish
2022Lengths measured · 15 fish
2021Lengths measured · 34 fish
2015Lengths measured · 19 fish
2010Northern pikeExcellent numbers15.1per gill net18"Typical29"Biggest
Lengths measured · 136 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 136 fish
2021Lengths measured · 49 fish
2015Lengths measured · 63 fish
2010Lengths measured · 36 fish
2005BluegillPresent11.8per gill net5"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 9015 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 8339 fish
2023Lengths measured · 570 fish
2022Lengths measured · 106 fish
2021Lengths measured · 88 fish
2015CrappiePresent2.1per gill net6"Typical13"Biggest
Lengths measured · 313 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 286 fish
2023Lengths measured · 8 fish
2022Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 19 fish
2021Lengths measured · 26 fish
2015Yellow perchFair numbers3.2per gill net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 29 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 29 fish
2021Lengths measured · 320 fish
2015Lengths measured · 427 fish
2010Lengths measured · 120 fish
2005Rates 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 Ripley (west portion) Lake through the year
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. With 76% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops. A 18-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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. With 76% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows. A 18-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 | Northern pike | Walleye | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | — | — | 21" |
| 2021 | 29" | 25" | 19" |
| 2015 | 30" | 27" | 19" |
| 2010 | 30" | 25" | 16" |
| 2005 | 37" | 25" | 20" |
| 2000 | 34" | 25" | 17" |
| 1995 | 30" | 28" | 20" |
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:
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
Walleye · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2023 survey
Ripley is a medium sized lake (614 acres) located next to the City of Litchfield in Meeker County. Ripley has four miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 18 feet. A city owned public access, with a cement boat ramp, and a large amount of parking is present on the east shore. A county owned public access, with a cement boat ramp, is present on the lake's western shore. A fishing pier is also available at the Ripley County Park on the west side of the lake. Spring trap netting, targeting Bluegill and Black Crappie, was completed at Ripley Lake on from May 1st to June 6th. Data was collected for size structure analysis. In addition to Bluegill and Black Crappie, Pumpkinseed Sunfish and Hybrid Sunfish were also collected during this assessment. Spring panfish trap netting catches should not be compared to historical summer trap net catches because summer trap net catches sometimes do a poor job of sampling larger Bluegill.
A new sunfish regulation (five fish bag limit) began on March 2022. The regulation was implemented to achieve a high quality sunfish population that includes more large fish exceeding 8 inches). Anglers can find sunfish scattered throughout Ripley's submergent vegetation beds. Bigger Bluegill are often found in deeper water during the mid-summer months and offshore vegetation can be fairly dense some years at Ripley - making those larger sunfish tough to locate. Try dragging a waxworm under a sinker in 8 to 10 feet of water in mid-summer if you cannot find the big sunnies up shallow. The scattered submergent vegetation beds along the north shore are popular with winter sunfish anglers.
Read the full DNR narrative
Crappie recruitment appeared to be inconsistent at Ripley Lake. Crappie can sometimes be found off the deep weed edges in the summer using a small minnow under a bobber. Winter fishing pressure can be substantial at Ripley Lake and crappie are often found along the deeper flats or breaks, and around the deep hole.
People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Over harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are typically moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters and lakeshore owners, and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. Ripley Lake has the AIS - Eurasian watermilfoil. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants and animals from their watercraft and drain all lake water from their boat and bait buckets before leaving the lake. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local DNR office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Hutchinson Area Fisheries office.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Ripley (west portion) Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Ripley (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
- Ripley Lake (E) (trailer launch)
- Ripley Lake (W) (trailer launch)
- Ripley Fishing Pier (fishing pier)
DNR bathymetry
Ripley (west portion) Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Round Lake · 266 ac · 2.5 mi
- Star Lake · 553 ac · 4.4 mi
- Minnie-Belle Lake · 597 ac · 5.1 mi
- Manuella Lake · 293 ac · 5.8 mi
- Hope Lake · 274 ac · 5.8 mi
- Richardson Lake · 119 ac · 6 mi
- Dunns Lake · 152 ac · 6.3 mi
- Long Lake · 783 ac · 6.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Ripley (west portion) Lake?
Ripley (west portion) Lake reaches 18 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 12 ft; about 76% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Ripley (west portion) Lake?
Ripley (west portion) Lake covers 614 acres with about 3.7 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Ripley (west portion) Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Ripley (west portion) Lake average 4.9 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Ripley (west portion) Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish.
Is Ripley (west portion) Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Ripley (west portion) Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Ripley (west portion) Lake have a public access?
Yes. Ripley (west portion) Lake has 3 public access sites, including Ripley Lake (E) (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Ripley (west portion) Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 29"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.
When was Ripley (west portion) Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Ripley (west portion) Lake in 2023, the most recent of 15 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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