Minnesota · St. Louis County
Strand Lake Fishing guide
Strand Lake sits in St. Louis County, Minnesota, and covers 330 acres, reaching 16 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 3.9 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 8 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2018Excellent numbers9.2per gill net14"Typical28"Biggest
Lengths measured · 62 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 62 fish
2025Lengths measured · 67 fish
2015Lengths measured · 79 fish
2007Lengths measured · 78 fish
1999Northern pikeJust a few2.5per gill net19"Typical32"Biggest
Lengths measured · 18 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 18 fish
2025Lengths measured · 24 fish
2015Lengths measured · 16 fish
2007Lengths measured · 8 fish
1999Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
BluegillJust a few3.4per trap net8"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 154 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2025Lengths measured · 32 fish
2025Lengths measured · 122 fish
2021Lengths measured · 26 fish
2015Lengths measured · 18 fish
2007CrappieJust a few0.9per trap net10"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 106 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2025Lengths measured · 15 fish
2025Lengths measured · 91 fish
2021Lengths measured · 62 fish
2015Lengths measured · 15 fish
2007Yellow perchFair numbers3.7per gill net9"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 28 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 28 fish
2025Lengths measured · 88 fish
2015Lengths measured · 127 fish
2007Lengths measured · 98 fish
1999Rates 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 Strand Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 3.9 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. 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 16-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. In 3.9 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze. 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 | Walleye | Largemouth bass | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 28" | 20" | 32" |
| 2015 | 27" | 14" | 40" |
| 2007 | 23" | 5" | 33" |
| 1999 | 24" | — | 20" |
| 1994 | 26" | — | 38" |
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 · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Walleye | 330,000 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 330,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Strand Lake is a 330-acre lake located 5 miles southeast of Cotton, Minnesota, with a maximum depth of 16 feet. There is a township administered; gravel back-in access located on the north side of the lake off County Road 973.
The 2019 Lake Management Plan (LMP) identified Walleye, Bluegill, and Black Crappie as primary management species and Yellow Perch as a secondary species. Management goals include maintaining a naturally reproducing Walleye fishery with above-average gill net catch rates and good numbers of fish over 15 inches, as well as Bluegill and Black Crappie populations capable of supporting above-average catches of preferred-length fish and occasional memorable individuals. Anglers can help achieve this goal through selective harvest and proper catch-and-release techniques. A special regulation (daily bag limit: five Crappie and five Sunfish) was implemented in 2022 to protect the size structure of the fishery. Strand Lake was assessed in summer 2025 to update information about fish populations as part of a 10-year survey cycle, most recently completed in 2015.
Read the full DNR narrative
The Walleye population is self-sustaining and has not been stocked since 2018. Walleye catches have generally exceeded typical values compared to other similar Minnesota lakes. The 2025 gill net catch (9.2 per net) was above average compared to similar lakes. Walleye ranged in length from 8.3 to 28.7 inches, with a mean length of 14.3 inches. Size-structure goals were met. Two memorable-length fish (greater than 25 inches) were sampled. Great Walleye fishing opportunities exist, given the abundance and quality size structure.
Strand Lake also supports quality size structure for Bluegill and Black Crappie. Bluegill abundance (3.4 per net) was within the expected range for this lake type. The mean length was 4.7 inches, and several preferred-length individuals (greater than 8 inches) were captured. Bluegill angling is expected to be good, with opportunities to catch preferred and occasionally memorable-sized fish (greater than 10 inches).
Black Crappie size structure was good (2.5-12 inches; mean length 7.7 inches), with multiple preferred-length fish (greater than 10 inches) sampled. Trap net catch in 2025 (0.9 per net) was the lowest on record, though recent surveys have documented above average catches. Angling opportunities for preferred-size Crappie are expected to be good.
Yellow Perch ranged from 5.0 to 12.2 inches, averaging 8.7 inches, showing good size structure and angling opportunities.
Electrofishing was conducted to evaluate the presence of an emerging Largemouth Bass population. No Largemouth Bass were captured during electrofishing; however, a single individual was collected in a standard trap net, measuring 20.4 inches.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Strand Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Strand 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
- Strand Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Strand Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Leora Lake · 263 ac · 2.9 mi
- Little Long Lake · 18 ac · 4.3 mi
- Long Lake · 199 ac · 4.9 mi
- Cameron Lake · 168 ac · 4.9 mi
- Wilson Lake · 56 ac · 5.1 mi
- Schubert Lake · 212 ac · 5.4 mi
- Dinham Lake · 202 ac · 5.7 mi
- Nichols Lake · 419 ac · 7.1 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Strand Lake?
Strand Lake reaches 16 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Strand Lake?
Strand Lake covers 330 acres with about 5.2 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Strand Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Strand Lake average 3.9 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Strand Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Strand Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2018; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Strand Lake have a public access?
Yes. Strand Lake has one public access site: Strand Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Strand 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 1994.
When was Strand Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Strand Lake in 2025, the most recent of 8 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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