Minnesota · Le Sueur County
Scotch Lake Fishing guide
Scotch Lake is a 598-acre lake in Le Sueur County, Minnesota, reaching 11 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 4.9 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 7 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, northern pike, bluegill and crappie in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Excellent numbers24.5per gill net7"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 49 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 49 fish
2023Lengths measured · 20 fish
2013Lengths measured · 96 fish
2009Lengths measured · 31 fish
2003CrappieJust a few7per trap net7"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 57 fish
Recent · 2013Lengths measured · 57 fish
2013Lengths measured · 9 fish
2009Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 212 fish
2000Lengths measured · 3 fish
1995Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Yellow perchLast stocked 2016Excellent numbers13per gill net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 26 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 26 fish
2023Lengths measured · 50 fish
2009Lengths measured · 44 fish
2000Lengths measured · 2 fish
1995Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
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 Scotch 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. With 100% 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 11-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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 100% 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 11-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 | Walleye | Northern pike | Yellow perch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 8" | 15" | 9" |
| 2013 | 27" | 32" | — |
| 2009 | 23" | 32" | 11" |
| 2003 | 13" | 26" | — |
| 2000 | 21" | — | 12" |
| 1995 | 22" | — | 10" |
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 · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
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
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro 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 | 141,250 fry |
| 2024 | Walleye | 141,250 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 141,250 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 595,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 595,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 595,000 fry |
| 2016 | Northern Pike | 276,381 fry · 207 adults |
| 2016 | Yellow Perch | 626 adults |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2023 survey
Scotch Lake is a 565-acre lake located in Le Sueur County near the city of Cleveland. A public access is located on the northwest side of the lake, just off 271st Avenue. Scotch Lake is a shallow basin with a maximum depth of 11 feet.
Scotch Lake experienced a strong winterkill during the winter of 2022-2023. Members of the public reported dead fish along the shoreline following ice out. High water clarity and large amounts of aquatic vegetation pointed toward a mostly fishless community so it was decided a targeted survey would be conducted the week of August 23, 2023. This targeted survey consisted of deploying 2 gill nets to monitor the fish community.
Read the full DNR narrative
A targeted survey is generally used for sampling a specific kind of fish or time of year (i.e., spawning season, fall season, etc.) unlike a standard survey which samples a wider range of fish species during the summer months using standard methods (i.e., standard time of year, set sampling stations, taking water clarity readings and oxygen/temperature profiles, etc.) and gears (i.e., lake survey gillnets, trap nets, and spring electrofishing for Largemouth Bass). Results from this targeted survey should not be compared to results from standard surveys.
Black Bullheads were the most abundant species in the nets. A total of 122 black bullhead were collected. Black Bullhead ranged in length from 6.6 to 12.5 inches, with an average length of 10.6 inches. Black Bullheads thrive in shallow lakes with high productivity, so their high abundance in Scotch Lake is expected.
Common Carp had become well established in recent years. Common Carp abundance was low in 2023 with 3 individuals sampled for a catch rate of 1.5/gill net. Common Carp averaged 9.2 inches in length.
Yellow Perch were sampled at a rate of 13/gillnet in 2023. These fish ranged in size from 6.5 inches to 9.1 inches and averaged 7.5 inches in total length. One northern pike was sampled in 2023, it was 15.6 inches in length. Golden Shiners were sampled at a rate of 4.0/ gill net. They ranged in size from 6.0 inches to 7.4 inches and averaged 6.4 inches in total length.
Approximately 141,000 Walleye fry were stocked in 2023 following the winter kill. Walleye were the primary predator fish species observed during the 2023 survey. The gillnets averaged 24.5/net. The length of walleye ranged from 6.7 to 9.1 inches and averaged over 7.5 inches. A walleye maintenance stocking program has been in place at Scotch Lake for years to sustain the population.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Scotch Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Scotch 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
- Scotch Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Scotch Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Middle Jefferson Lake · 667 ac · 2.9 mi
- West Jefferson Lake · 439 ac · 3.3 mi
- East Jefferson Lake · 685 ac · 3.6 mi
- German Lake · 889 ac · 4.8 mi
- Roemhildts Lake · 74 ac · 5.7 mi
- Emily Lake · 300 ac · 5.8 mi
- Washington Lake · 1,516 ac · 5.8 mi
- George Lake · 88 ac · 6.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Scotch Lake?
Scotch Lake reaches 11 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Scotch Lake?
Scotch Lake covers 598 acres with about 4.5 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Scotch Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Scotch Lake average 4.9 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Scotch Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Scotch Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Scotch Lake have a public access?
Yes. Scotch Lake has one public access site: Scotch Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Scotch Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 8"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.
When was Scotch Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Scotch Lake in 2023, the most recent of 7 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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