Minnesota · Meeker County

Washington Lake Fishing guide

Washington Lake covers 2,438 acres in Meeker County, Minnesota, reaching 17 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 3.4 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 25 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.

Open the live map → Survey data

Depth to 17 ft · top 5 summer marks

Surface2,438 ac

Max depth17 ft

Mean8 ft

Clarity3.4 ft

Littoral93%

Surveyed2025

How to fish Washington Lake through the year

Walleye

Spring: Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 3.4 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
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 93% 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 17-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.

Largemouth bass

Spring: Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. In 3.4 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
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. With 93% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
Fall: Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze. A 17-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	Walleye	Largemouth bass	Smallmouth bass
2025	26"	17"	—
2024	12"	—	—
2023	26"	19"	18"
2022	9"	—	—
2021	25"	19"	18"
2020	23"	19"	20"
2019	27"	17"	18"
2018	25"	18"	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:

Walleye · Live bait

Slip Bobber + Leech

jumbo or large leech

4–20 ftdead slow

Shop octopus hooks →

Walleye · Soft plastics

Curly-Tail Grub on Jig

3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead

3–25 ftslow

Shop curly-tail grubs →

Largemouth bass · Soft plastics

Texas-Rigged Worm

7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm

1–25 ftdead slow

Shop plastic worms →

Largemouth bass · Soft plastics

Wacky-Rigged Stickworm

5" stickworm

1–12 ftdead slowweedless

Shop stickworms →

Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics

Ned Rig

2.75" finesse stickbait or craw-style Ned bait

5–25 ftdead slowweedless

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Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics

Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)

4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic

8–40 ftdead slowweedless

Shop finesse plastics →

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	1,133,152 fry
2023	Walleye	1,131,226 fry
2021	Walleye	1,136,738 fry
2019	Walleye	1,113,552 fry
2017	Walleye	2,266,000 fry

MN DNR · in their words

From the 2025 survey

Washington is a large-sized lake (2,438 acres) located south of the Town of Darwin in Meeker County. A large state-owned access with paved parking and a double cement boat ramp is present on the south shore. There is also a small cement plank access, with limited parking, on the east shore. Boaters can also access Washington from Stella Lake, through a culvert under County Highway 14 - when the water level is deep enough. Washington has approximately ten miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of seventeen feet. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) has divided Minnesota's lakes into 44 different classes based on physical and chemical characteristics. Washington is a class 41 lake and another similar waterbody in the Hutchinson Fisheries Management Area is Jennie Lake in Meeker County. Washington's 2021 lake management plan listed Walleye, Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass as primary management species, while Black Crappie and Bluegill were secondary species. Netting was completed in 2025 to monitor the fish population and evaluate the 2019 Walleye stocking regime (500 Spicer strain fry per littoral acre every other year).

Moderate numbers of Walleye were gill netted in 2025, but size was nice. Walleye averaged 16 inches in length. The longest Walleye sampled was almost 27 inches. Smallmouth Bass were not netted in this survey, but bass anglers still reported catching them in their outings in 2025. Low numbers of Largemouth Bass were netted in 2025, but bass often sample better using electrofishing gear - sampling which was not done this year. Maximum length for Largemouth Bass was a respectable 17 inches. Low numbers of Black Crappie were netted in 2025, and size was small. Most of the crappie were less than 5 inches in length. Maximum crappie length was a respectable 11 inches. Record high numbers of Bluegill were trap netted, but size was small (average length of 4 inches). Some keeper-sized (6 inches or longer) Bluegill were present. Maximum Bluegill length was just over 7 inches. Low numbers of Northern Pike were gill netted this year with fish averaging a decent 23 inches in length. The longest pike captured was 29 inches. Northern Pike regulations were revised at a statewide level beginning in 2018 to better accommodate regional differences in pike habitats, population abundances and size structures. Three management zones were established for Northern Pike, with their own bag limit and length limit restrictions. In the north-central zone, where Washington Lake is found, anglers can keep ten Northern Pike, but only two can be over 26 inches in length. All pike between 22 and 26 inches must be released immediately. This zone regulation is meant to increase Northern Pike size structure (more bigger fish) and to decrease the number of small fish - an attempt to restore balance to the population. The regulation will be evaluated on a state-wide basis after 2028. Additional fishes sampled in the 2025 nets included Black Bullhead, Brown Bullhead, Common Carp, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, White Sucker and Yellow Bullhead.

Read the full DNR narrative

People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Overharvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are typically moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters and lakeshore owners, and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. Washington Lake has two AIS - Eurasian watermilfoil and Zebra mussel. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants and animals from their watercraft and drain all lake water from their boat and bait buckets before leaving the lake. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local MNDNR office. Additional information on all these topics can be found on the MNDNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Hutchinson Area Fisheries office.

Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.

Recent reports

Washington Lake fishing reports

Recent reports on Washington 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.

Open the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report

Meeker County reports

Public water access

Getting on the water

Washington Lake (E) (trailer launch)
Washington Lake (S) (trailer launch)

DNR bathymetry

Washington Lake depth map

Washington Lake depth contour map, Meeker County, Minnesota — Depth contours to 17 ft from Minnesota DNR bathymetry, free to save or print. The live map adds ranked spots and conditions on the same contours.

Within 30 miles

Nearby lakes

Stella Lake · 599 ac · 2.4 mi
Spring Lake · 201 ac · 3.7 mi
Manuella Lake · 293 ac · 3.8 mi
Long Lake · 164 ac · 4.2 mi
Erie Lake · 190 ac · 4.9 mi
Jennie Lake · 1,069 ac · 5.4 mi
Little Swan Lake · 52 ac · 5.6 mi
Wolf Lake · 262 ac · 5.6 mi

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

How deep is Washington Lake?

Washington Lake reaches 17 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 8 ft; about 93% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).

How big is Washington Lake?

Washington Lake covers 2,438 acres with about 10 miles of shoreline.

How clear is the water in Washington Lake?

DNR Secchi readings on Washington Lake average 3.4 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.

What fish are in Washington Lake?

Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish.

Is Washington Lake stocked?

Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.

Does Washington Lake have a public access?

Yes. Washington Lake has 2 public access sites, including Washington Lake (E) (trailer launch).

How big do walleye get in Washington 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 2018.

When was Washington Lake last surveyed?

The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Washington Lake in 2025, the most recent of 25 surveys on record.

Page updated October 28, 2026.

The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Washington Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:

Open Washington Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report