Minnesota · Jackson County
Timber Lake Fishing guide
Timber Lake covers 191 acres in Jackson County, Minnesota, reaching 8 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 1.4 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 7 times, most recently in 2022, with walleye, northern pike, crappie and yellow perch in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Yellow perchFair numbers4per gill net5"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 18 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 18 fish
2022Lengths measured · 295 fish
2016Lengths measured · 323 fish
2004Lengths measured · 77 fish
1998Rates 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 Timber Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 1.4 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 8-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. In 1.4 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. 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 8-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 19" | 24" | 7" |
| 2016 | — | 34" | 10" |
| 2004 | — | 30" | 12" |
| 1998 | 14" | 30" | 10" |
| 1994 | 19" | 38" | 12" |
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
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Inline Spinner (Mepps/Blue Fox)
#2–#4 in-line spinner
Yellow perch · Live bait
Clip-On Bobber + Worm
half to whole garden nightcrawler
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 | Northern Pike | 584 fingerlings |
| 2025 | Walleye | 598,161 fry |
| 2024 | Northern Pike | 1,280 fingerlings |
| 2023 | Northern Pike | 525 fingerlings |
| 2023 | Walleye | 960,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 960,000 fry |
| 2021 | Northern Pike | 1,370 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 1,120,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 1,000,000 fry |
| 2018 | Northern Pike | 353 adults |
| 2017 | Black Crappie | 665 adults |
| 2016 | Northern Pike | 1,320 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2022 survey
Timber Lake is a 192-acre lake, located in northern Jackson County, near the City of Wilder. The lake has a maximum depth of eight feet. Timber Lake is managed primarily for Northern Pike and Yellow Perch and secondarily for Walleye and Black Crappie. Despite frequent winterkills, the Northern Pike and Yellow Perch populations have been consistently maintained over the last couple of decades. Walleye were first stocked in 2019 to control the highly abundant Yellow Perch and Black Bullhead populations. Northern Pike have been stocked sporadically over the last decade, mostly limited by availability. During the late 1980's and early 1990's, Timber Lake had a decent Black Crappie population, which all but disappeared in the 2004 survey. In an effort to reestablish the Black Crappie population in Timber Lake, it was stocked with adults in 2017. Yellow Perch have not been stocked recently because they sustain themselves through natural reproduction. A survey was conducted the week of July 5, 2022 to monitor the fish population using one gill net and eight trap nets.
Northern Pike catch rates have varied from 0.0 per gill net in 2016 to 11.7 per gill net in 1994, and have averaged 3.4 per gill net since 1985. The 2022 Northern Pike catch rate was 5.0 per gill net which is within the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (1.1 to 8.0 per gill net). Overall, Northern Pike size structure was small, with lengths ranging from 18.3 to 24.4 inches and averaging 20.4 inches. The Northern Pike that were sampled were likely the result of fingerling stocking in the fall of 2021, when 1,370 fingerlings were stocked, equaling a little over seven Pike per acre. Northern Pike were plump, likely signaling that Pike foraged heavily on the highly abundant Yellow Perch population. Timber Lake should be a great place to target Northern Pike in the near future. Timber Lake is within the "southern zone" of the Northern Pike zone regulations, so two Pike longer than 24 inches can be harvested. Northern Pike under 24 inches must be released.
Read the full DNR narrative
Yellow Perch have historically been highly abundant in Timber Lake with catch rates up to 245.0 per gill net in 2016. In 2022, the catch rate decreased dramatically to 4.0 per gill net, which is the lowest catch rate observed in survey history. The dramatic decrease could be the result of predation on Yellow Perch by the 2019 Walleye year class and the Northern Pike that were stocked as adults in 2018 and fingerlings in 2021. A second possibility is that Yellow Perch movement was limited during the survey, thus not getting entangled in the gill net. Lengths of Yellow Perch ranged from 4.4 to 7.2 inches and averaged 5.8 inches. Yellow Perch were plump indicating that they are foraging successfully. Abundant predators may help improve the size structure of Yellow Perch in Timber Lake.
Walleye were first stocked in Timber Lake in 2019 with goals of creating a Walleye rearing pond and as an additional predator to control Yellow Perch and Black Bullhead populations. Additional Walleye fry stockings have occurred in 2021 and 2022. In the 2022 survey, the Walleye catch rate was 8.0 per gill net, which is within the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (2.3 to 18.1 per gill net). All of the Walleye sampled were age-3, indicating that the 2019 stocking was successful. Walleyes ranged in length from 18.2 to 19.8 inches and averaged 19.0 inches. Walleye in Timber Lake grow fast as they averaged 19.0 inches at age-3. Walleye were also foraging effectively and are plump. While Walleye fingerlings were never harvested out of Timber Lake, it appears that predator management may be having an effect on the Yellow Perch population. Additionally, a Walleye fishery has been established which produced a good walleye bite during the winter of 2021-2022.
Timber Lake used to have a Black Crappie population in the late 1980's and the early 1990's, so adult Black Crappie were stocked in 2017 to reestablish a fishable population. Thus far, the Black Crappie have failed to produce a fishery and appear to be very scarce in Timber Lake, as there were zero Black Crappie sampled in the 2022 survey.
The Black Bullhead catch rates was 91.0 per gill net which is within the expected range of catch rates for similar lakes (30.3 to 150.6 per gill net). Lengths of Black Bullheads ranged from 5.0 to 11.5 inches and averaged 6.4 inches. Other species sampled included Bigmouth Buffalo, Common Carp, Green Sunfish, Orangespotted Sunfish, White Crappie, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Timber Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Timber 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
- Timber Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Timber Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- String Lake · 336 ac · 2.5 mi
- Flahtery Lake · 457 ac · 5.2 mi
- Heron (South Heron) Lake · 2,641 ac · 6.9 mi
- Cottonwood Lake · 155 ac · 7.1 mi
- Fish Lake · 297 ac · 8.5 mi
- Independence Lake · 99 ac · 9.1 mi
- Bingham Lake · 270 ac · 10.8 mi
- Talcot Lake · 873 ac · 12.5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Timber Lake?
Timber Lake reaches 8 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Timber Lake?
Timber Lake covers 191 acres with about 3.2 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Timber Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Timber Lake average 1.4 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Timber Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2022) record walleye, northern pike, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Timber Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked northern pike and walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Timber Lake have a public access?
Yes. Timber Lake has one public access site: Timber Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Timber Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 19"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1994.
When was Timber Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Timber Lake in 2022, the most recent of 7 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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