Minnesota · Becker County

Sallie Lake Fishing guide

Sallie Lake sits in Becker County, Minnesota, and covers 1,280 acres, reaching 50 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 8.6 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 14 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and muskellunge in the nets.

Open the live map → Survey data

Depth to 50 ft · top 5 summer marks

Surface1,280 ac

Max depth50 ft

Mean17 ft

Clarity8.6 ft

Littoral45%

Surveyed2024

How to fish Sallie 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 50 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 50 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
2024	27"	33"	17"
2019	25"	35"	18"
2014	24"	33"	19"
2009	27"	35"	18"
2004	22"	34"	18"
2000	27"	35"	19"
1994	27"	32"	17"

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 · Jigs & bladed

Inline Spinner (Mepps/Blue Fox)

#2–#4 in-line spinner

1–10 ftmoderate

Shop inline spinners →

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
2025	Walleye	677,000 fry
2024	Walleye	677,028 fry · 2,314 fingerlings · 2,145 yearlings · 212 adults
2023	Walleye	1,353,242 fry
2022	Walleye	577,000 fry · 13,840 fingerlings
2021	Walleye	627,000 fry
2020	Walleye	7,274 yearlings · 45 adults
2019	Walleye	577,000 fry
2018	Walleye	600,000 fry · 12,339 fingerlings · 30 yearlings · 36 adults
2017	Walleye	4,350,000 fry
2016	Walleye	3,300,000 fry · 3,551 fingerlings · 611 yearlings · 354 adults

MN DNR · in their words

From the 2024 survey

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Lake Sallie was conducted July 26th, 29th, and 30th, 2024, by Detroit Lakes Fisheries Staff. Data was collected from 18 sampling stations evenly spaced around the lake. All stations were sampled with a backpack electrofishing unit, 13 were sampled with a 50-foot seine and 5 stations were sampled with a 15-foot seine. Nearshore sampling captured 23 species of native fish, which included eight species that are intolerant of disturbance (Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Mimic Shiner, Logperch, Iowa Darter, Least Darter and Rock Bass) and one species that are tolerant of disturbance (Green Sunfish). The three most common species captured during the nearshore survey in order of abundance were: Spottail Shiner, Bluegill, and Iowa Darter. One Least Darter was captured during this survey, marking the first known documentation of Least Darter in Lake Sallie.

The nearshore fish survey data was combined with the standard survey data from July 2024 to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based Index of Biotic Integrity (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., Black Bullhead, Fathead Minnow, and 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.

Read the full DNR narrative

Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to a watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. Lake Sallie is located in the Otter Tail River Watershed.

Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.

Recent reports

Sallie Lake fishing reports

Recent reports on Sallie 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

Becker County reports

Public water access

Getting on the water

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

DNR bathymetry

Sallie Lake depth map

Sallie Lake depth contour map, Becker County, Minnesota — Depth contours to 50 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

Muskrat Lake · 69 ac · 1.1 mi
Munson Lake · 134 ac · 1.3 mi
Meadow Lake · 71 ac · 1.7 mi
Pearl Lake · 280 ac · 2.1 mi
Melissa Lake · 1,850 ac · 2.4 mi
Detroit Lake · 3,067 ac · 2.9 mi
Long Lake · 415 ac · 3.2 mi
Mill Lake · 155 ac · 3.3 mi

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

How deep is Sallie Lake?

Sallie Lake reaches 50 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 17 ft; about 45% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).

How big is Sallie Lake?

Sallie Lake covers 1,280 acres with about 5.8 miles of shoreline.

How clear is the water in Sallie Lake?

DNR Secchi readings on Sallie Lake average 8.6 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.

What fish are in Sallie Lake?

Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, muskellunge, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.

Is Sallie Lake stocked?

Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.

Does Sallie Lake have a public access?

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

How big do walleye get in Sallie Lake?

The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 27"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1994.

When was Sallie Lake last surveyed?

The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Sallie Lake in 2024, the most recent of 14 surveys on record.

Page updated September 22, 2026.

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

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