Minnesota · Becker County
Upper Cormorant Lake Fishing guide
Upper Cormorant Lake covers 974 acres in Becker County, Minnesota, reaching 29 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 5.1 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 13 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Excellent numbers6.7per gill net18"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 126 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 60 fish
2025Lengths measured · 66 fish
2022Lengths measured · 73 fish
2017Lengths measured · 71 fish
2012Largemouth bassJust a few5per hr (electrofishing)13"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 73 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 46 fish
2025Lengths measured · 27 fish
2022Lengths measured · 28 fish
2017Lengths measured · 37 fish
2012Northern pikeGood numbers10.6per gill net19"Typical36"Biggest
Lengths measured · 205 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 57 fish
2025Lengths measured · 148 fish
2022Lengths measured · 52 fish
2017Lengths measured · 50 fish
2012BluegillJust a few19.2per trap net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 543 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 188 fish
2025Lengths measured · 355 fish
2022Lengths measured · 794 fish
2017Lengths measured · 489 fish
2012CrappieJust a few1.3per trap net9"Typical13"Biggest
Lengths measured · 91 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 42 fish
2025Lengths measured · 49 fish
2022Lengths measured · 66 fish
2017Lengths measured · 44 fish
2012No recent survey rating.
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 Upper Cormorant 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.
- 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.
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26" | 36" | 16" |
| 2022 | 26" | 35" | 18" |
| 2017 | 26" | 31" | 18" |
| 2012 | 28" | 26" | 17" |
| 2007 | 26" | 35" | 18" |
| 2002 | 28" | 31" | 15" |
| 1997 | 28" | 31" | 14" |
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 | 4,281 fingerlings · 8 yearlings · 524 adults |
| 2023 | Walleye | 10,065 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 3,483 fingerlings · 1,827 adults |
| 2019 | Walleye | 15,205 fingerlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 10,105 fingerlings |
| 2017 | Walleye | 374 fingerlings · 446 yearlings · 718 adults |
| 2016 | Walleye | 3,874 fingerlings · 198 yearlings · 44 adults |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Upper Cormorant Lake is an 856-acre, class 25 lake located in southwestern Becker County. It consists of a main basin and a long, narrow, northern arm with several shallow bays. Two narrow channels, not navigable in low water years, provide access to Rossman and Nelson Lakes to the east and eventually connect to Middle Cormorant Lake. Upper Cormorant Lake is relatively shallow (29-foot maximum depth) and summer stratification rarely occurs. There is a state-owned access on the west shore of the southernmost bay. Walleye fingerlings are stocked biennially in odd years, with yearlings and/or adults also stocked occasionally. A targeted fisheries survey using nine gill nets was completed in August 2025 to assess the Walleye and Northern Pike populations of Upper Cormorant Lake.
Walleye catch rates have remained relatively stable at seven fish per gill net since 2017. The catch rate in 2025 was no exception, with gill nets averaging 6.6 Walleye per net. The average length of sampled Walleye was 19 inches and the longest Walleye measured was just shy of 27 inches. Nine different ages of Walleyes were sampled with fish as old as 14 years collected. Age-6 fish were most abundant, making up 42% of the sample. The 2016-year class (nine year old fish) also showed up in better than expected numbers. Some fish were assigned ages to years when no stocking occurred, suggesting there may be a small amount natural reproduction occurring at Upper Cormorant Lake.
Read the full DNR narrative
The Northern Pike gill net catch in Upper Cormorant historically has been low but jumped up to a record high 14.9 pike per gill net in the 2022 survey. The catch rate went back down in 2025 to 6.4 per gill net, which is still a little above the lake average of 5.9 pike per net. This is one of a few lakes in the area where the Walleye catch rate was larger than the Northern Pike catch rate. This is good news for a lake that gets stocked with Walleye fingerlings. About 31% of the pike were greater than 24 inches in 2025, which is the highest percentage ever recorded at the lake. The average length of Northern Pike surveyed in 2025 was 22.25 inches and the longest was 37 inches.
Several other species were caught in the gill nets. Largemouth Bass averaged 11.5 inches with fish up to 16.5 inches caught. Bluegill of all sizes were caught in decent numbers. Bluegill averaged seven inches and measured up to 9.25 inches. About 28% of the Bluegills sampled were over eight inches. Black Crappie were captured in moderate numbers with fish up to 12.25 inches captured. Other species sampled were Brown Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead, and Pumpkinseed.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Upper Cormorant Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Upper Cormorant 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 Cormorant Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Upper Cormorant Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Turtle Lake · 196 ac · 1.9 mi
- Middle Cormorant Lake · 373 ac · 2.3 mi
- Bijou Lake · 225 ac · 2.8 mi
- Stakke Lake · 497 ac · 3.2 mi
- Big Cormorant Lake · 3,657 ac · 4.1 mi
- Leif Lake · 521 ac · 4.3 mi
- Ida Lake · 632 ac · 4.4 mi
- Fifteen Lake · 154 ac · 4.5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Upper Cormorant Lake?
Upper Cormorant Lake reaches 29 ft at its deepest point; about 48% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Upper Cormorant Lake?
Upper Cormorant Lake covers 974 acres with about 12.9 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Upper Cormorant Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Upper Cormorant Lake average 5.1 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Upper Cormorant Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Upper Cormorant Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Upper Cormorant Lake have a public access?
Yes. Upper Cormorant Lake has one public access site: Upper Cormorant Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Upper Cormorant Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 26"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1997.
When was Upper Cormorant Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Upper Cormorant Lake in 2025, the most recent of 13 surveys on record.
Page updated .
Featured guide spot
Your guide service here
One featured guide per lake, with your photo, your writeup and a link straight to your booking page. Free through December 31, 2026.
Then $20 a month from January. Cancel any time.
The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Upper Cormorant Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
Open Upper Cormorant Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report