Minnesota · Hubbard County
Upper Bottle Lake Fishing guide
Upper Bottle Lake covers 459 acres in Hubbard County, Minnesota, reaching 55 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 14 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 12 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2018Excellent numbers8.8per gill net12"Typical21"Biggest
Lengths measured · 76 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 76 fish
2023Lengths measured · 138 fish
2018Lengths measured · 206 fish
2013Lengths measured · 76 fish
2008Largemouth bassPresent1.3per gill net12"Typical15"Biggest
Lengths measured · 14 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 14 fish
2023Lengths measured · 45 fish
2018Lengths measured · 2 fish
2013Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 11 fish
2008Northern pikeGood numbers13per gill net20"Typical36"Biggest
Lengths measured · 80 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 80 fish
2023Lengths measured · 68 fish
2018Lengths measured · 45 fish
2013Lengths measured · 50 fish
2008BluegillJust a few4.6per trap net4"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 52 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 52 fish
2023Lengths measured · 42 fish
2018Lengths measured · 22 fish
2013Lengths measured · 56 fish
2008CrappieJust a few1.2per trap net8"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 12 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 12 fish
2023Lengths measured · 5 fish
2018Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 11 fish
2013Lengths measured · 10 fish
2008Yellow perchGood numbers5.7per gill net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 39 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 39 fish
2023Lengths measured · 25 fish
2018Lengths measured · 198 fish
2013Lengths measured · 139 fish
2008Rock bassOne of the best around6.2per gill net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 54 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 54 fish
2023Lengths measured · 20 fish
2018Lengths measured · 26 fish
2013Lengths measured · 57 fish
2008Rates 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 Upper Bottle Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 14 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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 55 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.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 14 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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. On a lake that drops to 55 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 21" | 36" | 15" |
| 2018 | 21" | 36" | 18" |
| 2013 | 26" | 35" | 13" |
| 2008 | 27" | 33" | 19" |
| 2003 | 28" | 36" | 19" |
| 1998 | 27" | 24" | 18" |
| 1993 | 27" | 30" | 9" |
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 · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
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 | 6,973 fingerlings |
| 2016 | Walleye | 7,053 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2023 survey
Upper Bottle Lake is located in southern Hubbard County, five miles north of Dorset. Upper Bottle is separated by a narrows from Lower Bottle Lake, with both lakes having similar fish communities and are generally managed together. Upper Bottle has a surface area of 459 acres and a maximum depth of 55 feet. A state-owned public access is located on the north end of the lake off County Road 24. Upper Bottle provides multi species opportunities to the angler with good populations of Walleye, Northern Pike, panfish, and bass.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. Upper Bottle is in lake class 27. Class 27 lakes are generally very large, deep, hard water lakes, with very regularly shaped shoreline. Other class 27 lakes in the Park Rapids management area includes Fishhook, Garfield, and Lake George.
Read the full DNR narrative
Walleye abundance remained strong in Upper Bottle, with gill net catch rates similar to past surveys. Sampled Walleye ranged in length 8.1 to 21.6 inches with an average length of 14.0 inches. Good numbers of smaller Walleye (8 to 14 inches) were sampled.
Yellow Perch, an important forage species for Walleye, were sampled in low numbers. Yellow Perch were small in size with an average length of 6.5 inches.
Anglers can expect to find an abundant Northern Pike population in Upper Bottle. Northern Pike had an average length and weight of 20.8 inches and 2.2 pounds with fish measured up to 36.6 inches.
While not known as a bass - panfish lake, Upper Bottle does provide angling opportunities for Black Crappie, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Largemouth Bass, and Smallmouth Bass. Present and past surveys have shown the population of these species to fluctuate from low to moderate numbers.
Other species sampled included high numbers of Rock Bass, and moderate numbers of White Sucker, Yellow Bullhead, and Golden Shiner. Brown Bullhead were sampled in low numbers.
Faucet snails, an aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Upper Bottle. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Upper Bottle Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Upper Bottle 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
- Upper Bottle Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Upper Bottle Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Dead Lake · 131 ac · 1.3 mi
- Stocking Lake · 102 ac · 1.3 mi
- Ojibway Lake · 184 ac · 1.4 mi
- Lower Bottle Lake · 641 ac · 1.5 mi
- Mantrap Lake · 1,618 ac · 2 mi
- Emma Lake · 78 ac · 2.1 mi
- West Crooked Lake · 270 ac · 2.2 mi
- Gilmore Lake · 93 ac · 2.6 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Upper Bottle Lake?
Upper Bottle Lake reaches 55 ft at its deepest point; about 38% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Upper Bottle Lake?
Upper Bottle Lake covers 459 acres with about 4 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Upper Bottle Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Upper Bottle Lake average 14 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Upper Bottle Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Upper Bottle Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2018; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Upper Bottle Lake have a public access?
Yes. Upper Bottle Lake has one public access site: Upper Bottle Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Upper Bottle Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 21"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1993.
When was Upper Bottle Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Upper Bottle Lake in 2023, the most recent of 12 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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