Minnesota · Douglas County
Smith Lake Fishing guide
Smith Lake covers 666 acres in Douglas County, Minnesota, reaching 30 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 3.3 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 12 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers3per gill net22"Typical27"Biggest
Lengths measured · 27 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 27 fish
2024Lengths measured · 35 fish
2018Lengths measured · 48 fish
2010Lengths measured · 28 fish
2006Largemouth bassJust a few17.4per hr (electrofishing)15"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 22 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 22 fish
2024Lengths measured · 18 fish
2018Lengths measured · 41 fish
2010Lengths measured · 40 fish
2006Northern pikeFair numbers9per gill net25"Typical31"Biggest
Lengths measured · 88 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 88 fish
2024Lengths measured · 63 fish
2018Lengths measured · 55 fish
2010Lengths measured · 29 fish
2006BluegillFair numbers39.9per trap net6"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 942 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 942 fish
2024Lengths measured · 709 fish
2018Lengths measured · 1444 fish
2010Lengths measured · 618 fish
2006CrappieJust a few5per trap net7"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 178 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 178 fish
2024Lengths measured · 189 fish
2018Lengths measured · 109 fish
2010Lengths measured · 148 fish
2006Yellow perchOne of the best around68per gill net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 629 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 629 fish
2024Lengths measured · 503 fish
2018Lengths measured · 412 fish
2010Lengths measured · 268 fish
2006Rates 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 Smith Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 3.3 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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.
- 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. In 3.3 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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.
- 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" | 31" | 19" |
| 2018 | 24" | 31" | 17" |
| 2010 | 29" | 33" | 18" |
| 2006 | 25" | 32" | 18" |
| 2001 | 26" | 33" | 19" |
| 1997 | 28" | 30" | 18" |
| 1993 | 25" | 34" | 7" |
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
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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | 182,000 fry |
| 2024 | Walleye | 182,000 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 182,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 364,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 642 adults |
| 2019 | Walleye | 14,429 fingerlings |
| 2017 | Walleye | 3,063 fingerlings · 58 yearlings · 330 adults |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
Smith Lake is a 666-acre natural lake located between Alexandria and Osakis. Maximum and average depths are 30 and 15 feet, respectively. Aquatic recreation is seasonally impaired due to excessive nutrient loading and algal blooms. The annual die-off of curly-leaf pondweed and release of nutrients back in the water can also stimulate algae blooms beginning in late June and early July. Even though the lake has water quality impairment, it supports abundant panfish. A concrete access is located on the northeast side of the lake, off Smith Lake Road SE.
Black Crappie are abundant (5.0/trap net; 14.9/gill net), especially for a late-July survey. However, growth is slow, with few fish reaching 10 inches, even with crappie surviving to age-13. Average and maximum length were 7.7 and 11.7 inches, respectively. Similar to crappie, Bluegill are abundant (39.9/trap net), and growth is slow. Average length in trap nets was 5.9 inches, with the largest Bluegill sampled being 8.0 inches. Largemouth Bass relative abundance (16.5/hour of electrofishing) was the lowest on record, but size structure has improved. Most fish were large (average of 16.4 inches), ranging from 14.0 to 19.1 inches.
Read the full DNR narrative
More Northern Pike (9.0/gill net) were sampled than any survey since 2001. Average length was 24.7 inches, while the largest pike sampled was 32.0 inches. Size structure appears to be increasing. Anglers are encouraged to harvest small Northern Pike. New Northern Pike regulations were implemented in 2018 to increase size structure. Smith Lake is in the North-Central Zone, where all pike from 22 to 26 inches must be released. Anglers can keep 10 pike, but not more than two can be longer than 26 inches. Northern Pike taken by spearing follow the same rules, except one pike may be between 22 and 26 inches, or two larger than 26 inches. For more information see: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/pike/index.html.
Walleye numbers (3.0/gill net) continue to be low, similar to past surveys. However, growth is fast, so most Walleye are large, ranging from 18.1 to 27.6 inches. Past stocking strategies have included frylings, fingerlings, yearlings and adults, although stockings have been predominately fingerlings, with limited success. For that reason, annual fry stocking began in 2022. However, it is currently too early to evaluate the effectiveness of fry stocking. Other species sampled include Black Bullhead, Bowfin (Dogfish), Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, White Sucker and Yellow Bullhead.
Zebra mussels were first recorded in 2022. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are easily moved from infested to non-infested waters and can negatively affect lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants and animals from their watercraft and drain water from their boat before leaving the access. For more information regarding aquatic invasive species see the following: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/aquatic/index.html.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Smith Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Smith 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
- Smith Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Smith Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Lake Jessie · 110 ac · 2.9 mi
- Lake Victoria · 417 ac · 4.3 mi
- Lake Burgan · 174 ac · 4.5 mi
- Lake Geneva · 640 ac · 5 mi
- Union Lake · 107 ac · 5.1 mi
- Lake Agnes · 138 ac · 6.7 mi
- Lake Henry · 152 ac · 7 mi
- Lake Le Homme Dieu · 1,801 ac · 7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Smith Lake?
Smith Lake reaches 30 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 15 ft; about 55% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Smith Lake?
Smith Lake covers 666 acres with about 6.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Smith Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Smith Lake average 3.3 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Smith Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Smith Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Smith Lake have a public access?
Yes. Smith Lake has one public access site: Smith Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Smith 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 1993.
When was Smith Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Smith Lake in 2024, the most recent of 12 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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