Minnesota · Stearns County
Vails Lake Fishing guide
Vails Lake covers 161 acres in Stearns County, Minnesota, reaching 20 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 4.1 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 10 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassFair numbers46.2per hr (electrofishing)14"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 34 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 34 fish
2018Lengths measured · 48 fish
2013Lengths measured · 44 fish
2003Northern pikeFair numbers8.3per gill net18"Typical36"Biggest
Lengths measured · 50 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 50 fish
2024Lengths measured · 54 fish
2018Lengths measured · 49 fish
2013Lengths measured · 45 fish
2003CrappiePresent7.5per gill net4"Typical6"Biggest
Lengths measured · 45 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 45 fish
2024Lengths measured · 140 fish
2018Lengths measured · 196 fish
2013Lengths measured · 80 fish
2003Yellow perchOne of the best around36per gill net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 215 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 215 fish
2024Lengths measured · 102 fish
2018Lengths measured · 99 fish
2013Lengths measured · 542 fish
2003Channel catfishGood numbers4.7per gill net26"Typical31"Biggest
Lengths measured · 29 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 29 fish
2018Lengths measured · 21 fish
2013Rates 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 Vails 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. With 79% 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.
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. With 79% 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 17" | 36" | 9" |
| 2018 | 25" | 30" | 8" |
| 2013 | 22" | 30" | 9" |
| 2003 | 25" | 34" | 9" |
| 1995 | 20" | 29" | 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 · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
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
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Yellow perch · Live bait
Slip Bobber + Leech
jumbo or large leech
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
Vails Lake (aka Mud Lake) is a 151-acre lake located just north of Eden Valley in southern Stearns County. It has a maximum depth of 20 feet. It is the first in a series of lakes which outlet northward to the Sauk River chain of lakes. The watershed is large and dominated by agriculture, pasture, and development. A public access and fishing pier are located on the south end of the lake. Vails Lake is managed primarily for Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish and anglers can expect good fishing for these species. This survey was conducted to update the fisheries data last collected in 2018.
No emergent or floating-leaf vegetation survey was conducted in 2024; however, in 2018 emergent and floating-leaf vegetation were sparse, covering only 1% of the lake area, but 31% of the shoreline. Submergent vegetation was also not surveyed in 2024, but in 2013 coontail and sago pondweed were abundant. Curly-leaf pondweed can be abundant in spring and early summer. Water clarity was moderate in mid-June, showing an improvement in water clarity since the last survey in 2018.
Read the full DNR narrative
Northern Pike numbers have been increasing in recent surveys and their size remains good. Current results were similar to 2018 and within the range of expected values for lakes like Vails. Pike lengths ranged from 13 to 36 inches with an average length and weight of 21 inches and 3 pounds. Ninety-eight percent of Northern Pike sampled were over 14 inches, with 22%over 26 inches and 8% over 30 inches.
The DNR does not stock Vails Lake with Walleye ; however, the Eden Valley Sportsmen's Club has been stocking Walleye fingerlings annually since 2011. The Walleye catch in 2024 was back within the expected range of values for lakes like Vails and higher than 2018. Walleye lengths ranged from 11 to 17 inches with an average length and weight of 13 inches and 1 pound. Northern Pike numbers are likely affecting walleye fingerling survival, but the stocking rate is also low. All of the walleye captured were from the 2021, 2022, and 2023 year classes with average growth for the Sauk Rapids Area, taking 3 years to reach 17 inches.
The Yellow Perch catch in 2024 was higher than the previous two surveysc(2013 and 2018), but similar to the long-term average for the lake. Perch lengths ranged from 5 to 9 inches with an average length of 6 inches.
Channel Catfish have recently become established in Vails Lake as well as other lakes connected to the Sauk River Chain of Lakes. Channel Catfish were first captured in 2013 and again in 2018. but none were captured during the 2024 survey. Catfish were historically large, so it is possible that the majority of the population has reached a size that would not be easily captured in our gill nets.
Black Crappie numbers decreased from 2018, but were within the expected range of values for lakes like Vails. Crappie were small, with lengths ranging from 4 to 7 inches with a mean length of five inches.
Other species sampled included: Bluegill, Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, and White Sucker
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Vails Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Vails 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
- Mud Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Vails Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Eden Lake · 278 ac · 1 mi
- North Brown's Lake · 312 ac · 3.3 mi
- Long Lake · 487 ac · 4.3 mi
- Rice Lake · 1,513 ac · 5 mi
- Clear Lake · 529 ac · 5.9 mi
- Horseshoe Lake · 629 ac · 6.1 mi
- Big Lake · 458 ac · 6.4 mi
- Cedar Island Lake · 986 ac · 6.5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Vails Lake?
Vails Lake reaches 20 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 8.6 ft; about 79% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Vails Lake?
Vails Lake covers 161 acres with about 1.9 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Vails Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Vails Lake average 4.1 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Vails Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish.
Is Vails Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Vails Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Vails Lake have a public access?
Yes. Vails Lake has one public access site: Mud Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Vails Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 17"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.
When was Vails Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Vails Lake in 2024, the most recent of 10 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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