Minnesota · Todd County
Sauk Lake Fishing guide
Sauk Lake sits in Todd County, Minnesota, and covers 2,126 acres, reaching 61 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 4.6 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 29 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025One of the best around12.5per gill net12"Typical28"Biggest
Lengths measured · 279 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 17 fish
2025Lengths measured · 65 fish
2024Lengths measured · 279 fish
2023Lengths measured · 110 fish
2022Largemouth bassGood numbers65per hr (electrofishing)16"Typical21"Biggest
Lengths measured · 67 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 67 fish
2023Lengths measured · 82 fish
2019Lengths measured · 1 fish
2015Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 60 fish
2015Northern pikeJust a few2.8per gill net19"Typical29"Biggest
Lengths measured · 49 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 49 fish
2023Lengths measured · 43 fish
2019Lengths measured · 19 fish
2015Lengths measured · 43 fish
2015BluegillPresent0.5per gill net6"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 148 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 148 fish
2023Lengths measured · 176 fish
2019Lengths measured · 116 fish
2015Lengths measured · 1 fish
2011Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
CrappiePresent0.9per gill net8"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 318 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 318 fish
2023Lengths measured · 372 fish
2019Lengths measured · 264 fish
2015Lengths measured · 141 fish
2015Yellow perchOne of the best around151.6per gill net7"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 2274 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 2274 fish
2023Lengths measured · 3889 fish
2019Lengths measured · 95 fish
2015Lengths measured · 2205 fish
2015No 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 Sauk 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 61 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.
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. On a lake that drops to 61 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- 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 | Smallmouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10" | — | — |
| 2024 | 16" | — | — |
| 2023 | 28" | 21" | 8" |
| 2022 | 17" | — | — |
| 2021 | 26" | — | 16" |
| 2020 | 17" | — | — |
| 2019 | 28" | 20" | 16" |
| 2018 | 19" | — | 15" |
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
Walleye · Trolling
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Ned Rig
2.75" finesse stickbait or craw-style Ned bait
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)
4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic
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 | 1,400,000 fry |
| 2024 | Walleye | 1,400,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 1,400,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 1,400,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 2,100,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 2,100,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 2,100,000 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 2,100,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Sauk (Big Sauk) Lake (DOW# 77-0150-00; Lake Class 25) is a 2,126-acre lake that extends north of the Sauk Centre Dam. The lake has a maximum depth of 61 feet, an average depth of 17 feet, and water visibility around 6 feet. Sauk Lake has a variety of submerged, emergent, and floating-leaf vegetation around its perimeter. The lake is primarily managed for Walleye and Bluegill, and secondarily for Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, and Black Crappie. Walleye fry are stocked to maintain the population within or above management goals. A targeted electrofishing survey for young-of-year Walleye was completed on September 9, 2025. Fall electrofishing surveys are used to evaluate fry stocking success or natural reproduction. A total of 1.4 million fry were stocked in the spring of 2025.
Fall night electrofishing has been conducted annually on Sauk Lake since 2009 to assess the relative abundance of young-of-year Walleye. This sampling is used to evaluate fry stocking success or natural reproduction during years without stocking. Over the years, electrofishing surveys have been useful predictors of future gill net catches. The catch rate young-of-year Walleye during 2025 was 7.0 fish/hour, which is the lowest on record for Sauk Lake. Catch rates prior to 2025 have ranged from 10.9 fish/hour (2010) to 127.5 fish/hour (2011. Young-of-year Walleye captured during 2025 ranged in size from 5.1-6.3 inches (average = 5.7 inches). This was slightly smaller than the average length (6.6 inches) from all previous surveys. Age analysis has shown that fish reach 13.6 inches by age-2, 16.7 inches by age-3, 17.7 inches by age-4, and 20.3 inches by age-5.
Read the full DNR narrative
Natural reproduction has been documented during fall electrofishing surveys and from aging fish captured in gill nets. Prior to 2000, there was little to no evidence of natural reproduction in Sauk Lake. Notable natural year classes were eventually documented in 2000 and 2007 during summer surveys. More recently, year classes of natural fish have been reported for 2020 and 2023. Therefore, it is important to consider that fall electrofishing catches may be comprised of both stocked and natural fish during stocking years.
Several other species were observed during the 2025 fall electrofishing survey. Yellow Perch and Bluegill were notably abundant throughout the sites. Shiners and minnows were also abundant. White Sucker and Shorthead Redhorse were present in low abundance. Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike were all observed.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Sauk Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Sauk 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
- Sauk Lake, Diamond Point (trailer launch)
- Big Sauk Lake Fishing Pier (fishing pier)
DNR bathymetry
Sauk Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Fairy Lake · 307 ac · 2.3 mi
- Lily Lake · 66 ac · 2.6 mi
- Long Lake · 230 ac · 2.7 mi
- Long Lake · 107 ac · 3 mi
- Cedar Lake · 139 ac · 4.6 mi
- Little Sauk Lake · 278 ac · 5.7 mi
- Guernsey Lake · 121 ac · 5.7 mi
- Juergens Lake · 117 ac · 5.7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Sauk Lake?
Sauk Lake reaches 61 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 17 ft; about 65% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Sauk Lake?
Sauk Lake covers 2,126 acres with about 22.3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Sauk Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Sauk Lake average 4.6 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Sauk Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Sauk Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Sauk Lake have a public access?
Yes. Sauk Lake has 2 public access sites, including Sauk Lake, Diamond Point (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Sauk Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 28"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2018.
When was Sauk Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Sauk Lake in 2025, the most recent of 29 surveys on record.
Page updated .
Featured guide spot
Your guide service here
One featured guide per lake, with your photo, your writeup and a link straight to your booking page. Free through December 31, 2026.
Then $20 a month from January. Cancel any time.
The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Sauk Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
Open Sauk Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report