Bijou Lake

Becker County, Minnesota - DNR stocking history, depth and survey data

Minnesota · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) · DOW 03063800

DNR records show 15 stocking entries at Bijou Lake since 2016, most recently walleye fry in 2025 (121,115 fish).

• Bijou Lake has 15 DNR stocking records across 9 years (2016-2025): walleye (9), black crappie (2), bluegill sunfish (2), largemouth bass (2).
• The most-stocked species by count is walleye: 1,081,115 fish on record.
• Maximum depth 27 ft; surface area 225 acres, 120 littoral acres, 5.1 miles of shoreline, per the DNR lake survey.
• Average water clarity (Secchi depth) 7.0 ft.
• Fish species DNR lists here: black bullhead, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, common carp, green sunfish, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, walleye, white sucker, and 2 more.
• 1 public access on the DNR list.
• Most recent DNR fish survey: May 8, 2023 (targeted survey).
• Becker County, nearest town Lake Park; DNR lake number (DOW) 03063800.

Depth map

Bathymetric contours from the Minnesota DNR lake survey mapped 9/1/1964 (orig map); depths in feet. Simplified for the web; not for navigation.

Stocking history

Public accesses

DNR fish survey, 2023

Catch per net (CPUE) is the DNR survey's count per gill net or trap net set; higher means more of that species were sampled, not a fishing forecast. Top species per gear shown; where we have no verified common name for a DNR code, the code itself is shown.

Bijou (Beseau) Lake is a 210-acre lake located in western Becker County. The agricultural watershed, marginal water quality, and continuing shoreline development make it susceptible to winterkill. Bijou Lake has experienced a light winterkill in 2004, a moderate winterkill in 2001, and a severe winterkill in 1994. Property owners reported abundant dead fish in the spring of 2023, which prompted a fisheries survey to be conducted in May 2023 to assess the severity of the winterkill. Dead fish of all species were observed while surveying. Trap nets captured Northern Pike, White Sucker, Black Crappie, Black Bullhead, and Yellow Bullhead. These are all species which are more tolerant to low oxygen conditions, but no species were abundant. Northern Pike had an average length of 21 inches. Bijou Lake appears to have experienced a significant winterkill for Bluegill, Black Crappie, and Largemouth Bass during the 2022-2023 winter. This would be the first major winterkill in Bijou Lake since 1994. As a result, Walleye, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Black Crappie were reintroduced in spring 2023. Angling opportunities for Northern Pike are still available, but it will take several years to have quality fishing for other species.

Minnesota DNR survey narrative, May 8, 2023.

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