Minnesota · Pope County
Villard Lake Fishing guide
Villard Lake covers 544 acres in Pope County, Minnesota, reaching 16 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 5.1 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 15 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2024Fair numbers3.2per gill net19"Typical27"Biggest
Lengths measured · 32 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 29 fish
2025Lengths measured · 1 fish
2025Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 2 fish
2025Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 54 fish
2019Largemouth bassJust a few16.7per hr (electrofishing)14"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 61 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 56 fish
2025Lengths measured · 4 fish
2025Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 1 fish
2025Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 41 fish
2019Northern pikeGood numbers11.2per gill net17"Typical32"Biggest
Lengths measured · 109 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 100 fish
2025Lengths measured · 8 fish
2025Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 1 fish
2025Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 198 fish
2019BluegillJust a few10.8per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 546 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 272 fish
2025Lengths measured · 119 fish
2025Lengths measured · 58 fish
2025Lengths measured · 97 fish
2022CrappieJust a few1.8per trap net10"Typical13"Biggest
Lengths measured · 79 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 39 fish
2025Lengths measured · 8 fish
2025Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 32 fish
2022Lengths measured · 31 fish
2019Rates 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 Villard Lake through the year
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 99% 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 16-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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 99% 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.
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 | Northern pike | Walleye | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 32" | 27" | 19" |
| 2019 | 30" | 27" | 18" |
| 2013 | 30" | 26" | 17" |
| 2008 | 33" | 28" | 18" |
| 2003 | 29" | 24" | 18" |
| 1998 | 32" | 23" | 18" |
| 1993 | 30" | 27" | 19" |
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:
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
Walleye · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | 271,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 541,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 541,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 550,000 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 600,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Villard Lake is a shallow, 544-acre lake located west of the city of Villard in northeast Pope County. A concrete access is located off County Highway 28 on the northeast corner of the lake. The lake is the middle basin within a chain of three lakes (Leven, Villard, and Amelia). Villard Lake averages 10 feet, with a maximum depth of 16 feet. Due to the shallowness of the basin, strong winds and waves can re-suspend nutrients and trigger temporary algal blooms. Wind mixing and shallowness often prevents Villard Lake from becoming thermally stratified during summer months. This lack of a cool water refuge during the heat of the summer can be stressful for cool water species such Walleye and Northern Pike.
Spring trap netting was conducted April 30 to May 2 when panfish were up shallow and vulnerable to capture, and only comparable to other spring targeted panfish surveys. The Bluegill catch (12.8/trap net) was similar to the 2022 targeted survey (10.8/trap net). Average and maximum length were 7.1 and 9.1 inches, respectively. Growth was below average when compared to other lakes with reduced sunfish bag limits. Sunfish anglers are reminded that a special regulation was implemented in 2022 that reduced the daily bag limit of sunfish from 20 to 10 to help protect and improve sunfish quality on this lake. For more information regarding the Quality Sunfish Initiative, see the following: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fish/sunfish/index.html.
Read the full DNR narrative
Few Black Crappie (1.0/ trap net) were sampled during the targeted spring trap netting. Average and maximum length were 11.0 and 13.0 inches, respectively. The catch rate was higher during summer gill nets (3.3/gill net), with mean and maximum lengths of 10.3 and 11.8 inches, respectively.
Northern Pike relative abundance (11.2/gill net) was lower than recent surveys. The number of large pike has improved, with a maximum length of 32 inches. However, small fish are still abundant (77% under 22 inches), leading to a mean length of only 19.5 inches. New Northern Pike regulations were implemented in 2018 to increase size structure. Villard Lake is in the North-Central Zone, where all pike from 22 to 26 inches must be released. Anglers can keep 10 pike, but not more than two can be longer than 26 inches. Northern Pike taken by spearing follow the same rules, except one pike may be between 22 and 26 inches, or two larger than 26 inches. For more information see: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/pike/index.html.
Walleye numbers (3.2/gill net) were low, but growth is fast. Average length was 18.5 inches, and maximum length was 26.0 inches. Past stockings include fry, fingerlings and mixed age fish with limited success. Recent stockings are likely competing with the expansion of zebra mussels (discovered in 2020) and may have a better chance of success as zebra mussels begin to decrease in abundance. The recent change to Lower Mississippi strain fry in 2024 may also increase the chance of success in this shallow, turbid system.
Largemouth Bass abundance (39 bass per hour of electrofishing) was near the median. Average length was 14.4 inches, with a maximum of 18.2 inches. Other species sampled include Bowfin (Dogfish), Brown Bullhead, Common Carp, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, White Sucker, Yellow Bullhead and Yellow Perch.
Lake Villard was designated as an infested water after the discovery of zebra mussels in 2020. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are easily moved from infested to non-infested waters and can negatively affect lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain water from their boat before leaving the access. For more information regarding aquatic invasive species see the following: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/aquatic/index.html.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Villard Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Villard 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
- Villard Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Villard Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Leven Lake · 282 ac · 1.4 mi
- Amelia Lake · 934 ac · 1.8 mi
- Westport Lake · 203 ac · 4.3 mi
- Maple Lake · 831 ac · 6 mi
- Lake Reno · 3,809 ac · 6.6 mi
- Turtle Lake · 218 ac · 6.8 mi
- Ann Lake · 370 ac · 7.1 mi
- Union Lake · 107 ac · 7.7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Villard Lake?
Villard Lake reaches 16 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 10 ft; about 99% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Villard Lake?
Villard Lake covers 544 acres with about 3.6 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Villard Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Villard Lake average 5.1 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Villard Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Villard Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Villard Lake have a public access?
Yes. Villard Lake has one public access site: Villard Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Villard Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 32"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1993.
When was Villard Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Villard Lake in 2025, the most recent of 15 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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