Minnesota · Yellow Medicine County
Wood Lake Fishing guide
Wood Lake sits in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota, and covers 485 acres, reaching 9 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 2.1 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 14 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, bluegill and crappie in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers2per gill net6"Typical13"Biggest
Lengths measured · 51 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 92 fish
2025Lengths measured · 44 fish
2023Lengths measured · 51 fish
2022Lengths measured · 27 fish
2018No recent survey rating.
Last recorded in the 1991 survey and not seen since.
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 Wood Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 2.1 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 100% 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 9-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Channel catfish
- Spring
- Catfish are on the soft-bottom flats and the breaks beside them, feeding after dark. In 2.1 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- Early summer
- Catfish are up in shallow cover to spawn: cavities, undercut banks, wood and rock.
- Summer
- Catfish are in the deep soft-bottom flats and holes by day, up on the flats after dark. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Catfish are packing into the deep holes and the breaks leading to them, feeding heavily. A 9-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 | Channel catfish | Yellow perch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 9" | — | — |
| 2023 | 13" | — | — |
| 2022 | 11" | 26" | 7" |
| 2018 | 7" | — | — |
| 2017 | 26" | 30" | 11" |
| 2016 | 8" | — | — |
| 2014 | 8" | — | — |
| 2012 | 20" | 23" | 11" |
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
Channel catfish · Live bait
Bullhead Bottom Rig
nightcrawler chunk or whole worm
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
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 | 153,405 fry |
| 2024 | Black Crappie | 23 adults |
| 2024 | Bluegill Sunfish | 57 adults |
| 2024 | Walleye | 101,934 fry · 230 fingerlings · 1,736 yearlings |
| 2023 | Walleye | 150,406 fry · 32 adults |
| 2023 | Yellow Perch | 940 adults |
| 2022 | Walleye | 242,873 fry · 13 yearlings · 28 adults |
| 2022 | Yellow Perch | 5,455 yearlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 244,058 fry · 62 adults |
| 2018 | Walleye | 421,361 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 321,501 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
A targeted fall night electrofishing survey was conducted on Wood during September 8, 2025 to evaluate young of year "YOY" (fingerling sized) Walleye numbers due to a fry stocking. A targeted survey is generally used for sampling a specific kind of fish or time of year (i.e. spawning season, fall season, etc.) unlike a standard survey which samples a wider range of fish species during the summer months using standard methodology (i.e. standard time of year, set sampling stations, taking water clarity readings and oxygen/temperature profiles, etc.) and gears (i.e. lake survey gillnets, trapnets, and spring electrofishing for Largemouth Bass). Three stations were sampled for a total of 30 minutes. The water temperature was 74.5 F. Water clarity was fair (1 foot). We observed abundant numbers of Black Bullhead and YOY Freshwater Drum; moderate numbers of small Black Crappie and Yellow Perch; low numbers of Bigmouth Buffalo and Common Carp.
Wood is a moderate sized (485 acres), shallow (9 feet maximum depth), aerated, and productive lake located in Yellow Medicine County. Wood Lake outlets into Wood Lake Creek via Judicial Ditch #10 and eventually flows into the Minnesota River. A fish barrier has generally prevented fish from moving into Wood Lake from the Minnesota River except during high water or barrier failures. Significant winterkills occurred during the 1996-1997, 2000-2001 and 2021-2022 winters due to heavy snow accumulation and/or problems with the aeration system. Early winter oxygen levels usually drop dramatically in Wood Lake compared to other nearby lakes (i.e., Lady Slipper, School Grove, Cottonwood and Tyson). Adequate oxygen levels (> 3 ppm) were maintained by the aeration system during the 2022-2023 winter which had extreme snow events. The heavy-duty tri-float Aire-O2 aeration system was moved to a harder substrate bottom about 150 yards east of the previous site and away from the access in 2022. No winterkill occurred in Wood or nearby Tyson unlike many other southern Minnesota lakes during the 2022-2023 winter. Winter oxygen levels were adequate during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 winters due to mild winter conditions. The aeration system was not operated during the 2025-26 mild winter due to high oxygen levels (>20 ppm).
Read the full DNR narrative
Walleye natural reproduction in Wood is generally infrequent and insignificant based on previous surveys. Walleye fry (102,000 to 433,000 fish) have been stocked recently into Wood during 2016, 2018, 2021-2025. Approximately 153,405 Walleye fry were stocked in 2025. Walleye fingerlings were stocked into Wood during the fall of 2001 (13,359 fish) and 2008 (836 fish). Adult/Yearling Walleye were stocked in 2021 (62 adults, 135 pounds), 2022 (28 adults, 70.5 pounds; 13 yearlings and 10.4 pounds) and 2023 (32 adults, 32 pounds). A combination of yearlings (1,736 fish, 393 pounds) and fingerlings (230 fish, 23 pounds) were stocked in 2024. Currently, Walleye fry are scheduled annually for stocking into Wood.
Abundant YOY Walleye numbers (176.00/hour, 6.33 inches) were captured in the 2025 fall night electrofishing survey. Abundant YOY Walleye numbers were also captured in 2022 (80.00 YOY/hour, 6.25 inches) and 2023 (123.00 YOY/hour, 6.98 inches) fall night electrofishing surveys. No fall electrofishing surveys were conducted during 2019-2021 and 2024. Moderate yearling Walleye numbers were present in 2023 (9.00 fish/hour, 12.57 inches) and 2025 (8.00 fish/hour, 8.60 inches). Moderate YOY Walleye numbers (54.00 YOY/hour, 6.57 inches) were captured during the 2018 fall electrofishing survey. We observed moderate numbers of YOY Freshwater Drum, Channel Catfish and adult Walleye in the 2018 fall electrofishing survey.
Adult Walleye abundance was low (2.00 fish/gillnet) during the 2022 summer gillnet survey likely due to the recent 2022 winterkill. The Walleye historical average catch rate is 22.57 fish/gillnet for Wood. The 2022 Walleye average weight and length were 0.36 pounds and 10.60 inches from gillnets. The 2021 year class (fry stocked) comprised 100% of the 2022 Walleye catch. Walleye fishing has improved for adult fish in recent years per local reports.
Current fish management activities on Wood include monitoring the fish population on a periodic basis, monitoring winter dissolved oxygen levels, assisting the Southwestern Prairie Outdoors Club with the operation of the aeration system, protecting aquatic vegetation through the permit process, assisting aquatic plant management and enforcement personnel in educating boaters and monitoring access sites for potential invasive species introductions, participating in local watershed initiatives, and stocking various fish species as warranted. The Wood Lake fishery will be sampled in 2027 for all fish species. A fall night electrofishing survey will be periodically conducted during Walleye fry stocked years.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Wood Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Wood 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
- Wood Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Wood Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Tyson Lake · 166 ac · 4.9 mi
- Cottonwood Lake · 383 ac · 8.6 mi
- Lady Slipper Lake · 286 ac · 9.1 mi
- School Grove Lake · 349 ac · 9.8 mi
- Redwood Lake · 56 ac · 22.5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Wood Lake?
Wood Lake reaches 9 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Wood Lake?
Wood Lake covers 485 acres with about 5.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Wood Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Wood Lake average 2.1 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Wood Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, tiger muskellunge, channel catfish.
Is Wood Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Wood Lake have a public access?
Yes. Wood Lake has one public access site: Wood Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Wood Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 13"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2012.
When was Wood Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Wood Lake in 2025, the most recent of 14 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 Wood Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
Open Wood Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report