Minnesota · Otter Tail County
Walker Lake Fishing guide
Walker Lake covers 579 acres in Otter Tail County, Minnesota, reaching 29 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 8.4 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 6 times, most recently in 2014, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 12 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers1.3per gill net14"Typical25"Biggest
Lengths measured · 19 fish
Recent · 2014Lengths measured · 19 fish
2014Lengths measured · 28 fish
2007Lengths measured · 79 fish
2003Northern pikeJust a few3.3per gill net21"Typical23"Biggest
Lengths measured · 35 fish
Recent · 2014Lengths measured · 35 fish
2014Lengths measured · 18 fish
2007Lengths measured · 41 fish
2003BluegillJust a few8.8per trap net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 73 fish
Recent · 2014Lengths measured · 73 fish
2014Lengths measured · 71 fish
2007Lengths measured · 65 fish
2003CrappieJust a few1.3per trap net9"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 12 fish
Recent · 2014Lengths measured · 12 fish
2014Lengths measured · 6 fish
2007Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 21 fish
2003Yellow perchExcellent numbers15.4per gill net5"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 139 fish
Recent · 2014Lengths measured · 139 fish
2014Lengths measured · 143 fish
2007Lengths measured · 117 fish
2003Rates 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 Walker 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.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn.
- Early summer
- Largemouth are on the shallow spawning flats and protected bays, where beds go on firm bottom next to isolated cover.
- Summer
- Largemouth are in and along the weeds: cabbage and milfoil edges, matted cover and shade.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
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 | Largemouth bass | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 25" | 13" | 23" |
| 2007 | 23" | 19" | 25" |
| 2003 | 22" | 18" | 23" |
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 · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
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
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
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 | 342,000 fry |
| 2024 | Walleye | 400,000 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 342,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 342,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 342,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 342,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 342,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 342,000 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 342,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2014 survey
Walker Lake is a 540-acre eutrophic (fertile) lake located in central Otter Tail County approximately four miles west of Ottertail City. The Dead River inlet is located along the north shoreline and outlets into Otter Tail Lake along the south shoreline. The immediate watershed is composed primarily of marshland and agricultural land interspersed with hardwood woodlots. Walker Lake has a maximum depth of 29 feet; however, 63% of the lake is less than 15 feet in depth. Shoal water substrates consist primarily of sand and muck. Development is primarily limited to the north and south shorelines. A public water access is located along the north shoreline. The secchi disk reading during the 2014 survey was 11.0 feet. Previous secchi disk readings have ranged from 4.7 to 5.5 feet.
Large areas of hardstem bulrush and common cattail are present around the lake. Emergent aquatic plants such as bulrush and cattail provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat, and are critical for maintaining good water quality. They protect shorelines and lake bottoms, and can actually absorb and break down polluting chemicals. Emergent plants provide spawning areas for fish such as Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish. They also serve as important nursery areas for all species of fish. Because of their ecological value, emergent plants may not be removed without a DNR permit.
Read the full DNR narrative
Walker Lake is a very popular lake for Walleye fishing, especially during the first two weeks of the season. Walleyes migrate from Otter Tail Lake through Walker Lake and up the Dead River to spawn in mid to late April. They return to Walker Lake to feed once spawning is completed and before migrating back to Otter Tail Lake. Anglers take advantage of this and usually experience some excellent fishing during this time period. Because the degree of migration can vary from year to year, Walleye abundance can fluctuate greatly. Walker Lake is stocked annually with Walleye fry to replace eggs taken by the DNR at the Walleye egg-take site at the Walker Lake Hatchery. Walleyes sampled in this assessment ranged in length from 10.8 to 18.5 inches with an average length and weight of 14.0 inches and 1.3 pounds.
Walker Lake also provides some excellent Bluegill fishing at various times of the year. Bluegills are abundant and possess a good size structure. In this assessment, fifty-one percent of the Bluegills measured 7.0 inches or greater in length. Age data indicate that Bluegill reproduction is consistently good. Bluegills exhibit fast growth with an average length of 7.2 inches at four years of age.
Anglers can maintain the quality of angling by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest encourages the release of medium to large size fish while allowing the harvest of more abundant smaller fish for table fare. Releasing the medium to large fish will ensure that the lake will have enough spawning age fish on an annual basis and will provide anglers with more opportunities to catch large fish in the future.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Walker Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Walker 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
- Walker Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Walker Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Otter Tail Lake · 14,079 ac · 2.9 mi
- Dead Lake · 7,546 ac · 4.5 mi
- Twin Lake · 369 ac · 5.2 mi
- Round Lake · 273 ac · 5.6 mi
- Buchanan Lake · 964 ac · 5.8 mi
- Ethel Lake · 191 ac · 6 mi
- Donalds Lake · 166 ac · 6.2 mi
- Blanche Lake · 1,296 ac · 6.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Walker Lake?
Walker Lake reaches 29 ft at its deepest point; about 59% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Walker Lake?
Walker Lake covers 579 acres with about 4.8 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Walker Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Walker Lake average 8.4 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Walker Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2014) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Walker Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Walker Lake have a public access?
Yes. Walker Lake has one public access site: Walker Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Walker Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 25"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2003.
When was Walker Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Walker Lake in 2014, the most recent of 6 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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