Minnesota · Mahnomen County
Roy Lake Fishing guide
Roy Lake sits in Mahnomen County, Minnesota, and covers 695 acres, reaching 16 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 4.3 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 10 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2024Good numbers4.7per gill net16"Typical27"Biggest
Lengths measured · 43 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 43 fish
2022Lengths measured · 39 fish
2017Lengths measured · 60 fish
2012Lengths measured · 93 fish
2007Largemouth bassGood numbers53.7per hr (electrofishing)14"Typical17"Biggest
Lengths measured · 33 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 33 fish
2022Lengths measured · 81 fish
2017Lengths measured · 85 fish
2012Lengths measured · 108 fish
2007No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeOne of the best around16.3per gill net23"Typical34"Biggest
Lengths measured · 158 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 158 fish
2022Lengths measured · 124 fish
2017Lengths measured · 102 fish
2012Lengths measured · 254 fish
2007BluegillOne of the best around102.8per trap net6"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 1838 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 1838 fish
2022Lengths measured · 869 fish
2017Lengths measured · 287 fish
2012Lengths measured · 763 fish
2007CrappieJust a few8.1per trap net8"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 187 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 187 fish
2022Lengths measured · 50 fish
2017Lengths measured · 109 fish
2012Lengths measured · 225 fish
2007Yellow perchGood numbers5.2per gill net8"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 50 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 50 fish
2022Lengths measured · 104 fish
2017Lengths measured · 3 fish
2012Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 30 fish
2007No recent survey rating.
Rates 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 Roy 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 92% 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 16-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 92% 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 16-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 | 34" | 27" | 17" |
| 2017 | 32" | 28" | 18" |
| 2012 | 26" | 25" | 17" |
| 2007 | 33" | 25" | 15" |
| 2002 | 34" | 25" | 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:
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 · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
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.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | 640,558 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 225,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 638,000 fry |
| 2020 | Walleye | 4,347 fingerlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 638,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 652 fingerlings · 388 yearlings · 1,020 adults |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2023 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Roy Lake, which lies within the boundaries of the White Earth Reservation, was conducted on July 17-18, 2023 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 14 sampling stations, but four stations were sampled from the boat due to site conditions. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample eight stations, a 15-foot seine was used to sample two stations, and site conditions prevented the use of seines at four stations. Nearshore sampling captured 13 species of fish including two species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Blackchin Shiner and Iowa Darter) and one species that is tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Green Sunfish).
The nearshore data was combined with gill net and trap net data from a July 2022 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Roy Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Roy 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
- Roy Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Roy Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Island Lake · 44 ac · 4.4 mi
- North Twin Lake · 966 ac · 6.1 mi
- Bass Lake · 735 ac · 6.6 mi
- Sargent Lake · 138 ac · 7 mi
- South Twin Lake · 1,127 ac · 7.4 mi
- Rockstad Lake · 142 ac · 7.8 mi
- Snider Lake · 634 ac · 9.9 mi
- Island Lake · 616 ac · 10.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Roy Lake?
Roy Lake reaches 16 ft at its deepest point; about 92% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Roy Lake?
Roy Lake covers 695 acres with about 4.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Roy Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Roy Lake average 4.3 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Roy Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Roy Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Roy Lake have a public access?
Yes. Roy Lake has one public access site: Roy Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Roy Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 34"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2002.
When was Roy Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Roy Lake in 2023, the most recent of 10 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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