Bad Medicine Lake

Details

DNR lake ID

03008500

County

Becker

Surface area

803 acres

Maximum depth

84 feet

Shallow water (littoral) area

288 acres, 36% of the lake

Shoreline

12.8 miles

Average water clarity

21.1 feet (Secchi disk, 4 readings)

Nearest town (DNR)

Ponsford

Latest DNR fish survey

July 2022, standard survey

Surveys on record

14, since 1961

Game fish caught in the 2022 survey

rock bass 126, walleye 89, northern pike 45, smallmouth bass 35, rainbow trout 31, yellow perch 17, bluegill 12, hybrid sunfish 2

Fish species recorded

black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rainbow trout, rock bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, yellow perch, and 12 other species

Stocked in 2025

rainbow trout yearlings (16,000)

Stocked in 2024

rainbow trout yearlings (16,000); walleye yearlings (1,119); walleye adults (228); walleye fingerlings (817); walleye yearlings (2,610)

Stocked in 2023

rainbow trout yearlings (16,000)

Stocking years on record

10 of the last 10 (2016 to 2025)

Bad Medicine Lake Public Water Access Site

trailer launch, concrete slab ramp, 1 dock, 14 trailer spaces, toilet, run by DNR Division of Parks and Trails

Special regulation

Stream Trout: Winter fishing for stream trout is not allowed.

Fish consumption

Follow the statewide guidelines; fish from this lake have been tested

Size

500 to 1,999 acres

Deepest point

60 feet or more

Public access

Yes

Stocked in the last 3 years

Yes

Sources

• Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
  Checked September 24, 2026
• Minnesota DNR Public Water Access Sites
  Checked September 24, 2026

Survey catches show what DNR nets and electrofishing found on the survey date, not how the fishing is today. Check the current regulations and the Department of Health advice before you keep fish, and confirm access conditions before you tow a boat.