Minnesota · Crow Wing County
Adney Lake Fishing guide
Adney Lake covers 310 acres in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, reaching 27 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 17 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 7 times, most recently in 2024, with largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassGood numbers94.9per hr (electrofishing)12"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 312 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2024Lengths measured · 3 fish
2024Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 309 fish
2023Lengths measured · 195 fish
2010Lengths measured · 19 fish
1998No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeGood numbers13.5per gill net15"Typical38"Biggest
Lengths measured · 84 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2024Lengths measured · 18 fish
2024Lengths measured · 66 fish
2023Lengths measured · 90 fish
2010Lengths measured · 80 fish
1998BluegillJust a few21.4per trap net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 429 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2024Lengths measured · 235 fish
2024Lengths measured · 194 fish
2023Lengths measured · 168 fish
2010Lengths measured · 415 fish
1998CrappieJust a few2.4per trap net9"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 35 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2024Lengths measured · 22 fish
2024Lengths measured · 13 fish
2023Lengths measured · 25 fish
2010Lengths measured · 28 fish
1998Rates 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 Adney Lake through the year
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. At 17 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 17 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
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 | Largemouth bass | Northern pike | Bluegill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 19" | 17" | 8" |
| 2023 | 19" | 38" | 9" |
| 2010 | 20" | 36" | 8" |
| 1998 | 14" | 36" | 8" |
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:
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 · Jigs & bladed
Inline Spinner (Mepps/Blue Fox)
#2–#4 in-line spinner
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Bluegill · Live bait
Clip-On Bobber + Worm
half to whole garden nightcrawler
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Adney Lake was conducted beginning June 10th, 2024, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at 10 sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample 5 stations, and a 15-foot seine was used at 4 stations. One station was not seined due to abundance of downed trees and branches. Nearshore sampling captured 16 species of fish including 5 species that are intolerant of disturbance (Banded Killifish, Blackchin shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass) and one that is tolerant of disturbance (Green Sunfish).
A concurrent summer trap net survey was also conducted by IBI Program staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline in locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Trap net sampling captured 9 species of fish, including one that is intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Rock Bass). Bluegill and Yellow Bullhead comprised a majority of the catch by number and by biomass.
Read the full DNR narrative
The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from a July 2023 survey to describe the fish community and provide a fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Banded Killifish and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.
Results from this survey provide evidence that the fish community in Adney Lake may be adversely impacted by stressors, as indicated by an FIBI score near the MNDNR FIBI general use impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. The survey results were considered when the biological health of the lake was assessed during the Pine River watershed assessment process, completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. You can help protect the fish community in Adney Lake by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.
A concurrent survey of lakeshore habitat was done following the Score the Shore survey protocols. The survey consisted of 31 survey sites evenly spaced 150 meters around the lake. The average lakewide habitat score was 60.6 out of 100 possible. A score of 60.6 indicates the lakewide shoreline condition is Poor (50-65.9).
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Adney Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Adney 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
- Adney Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Adney Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Greer Lake · 354 ac · 2.3 mi
- Velvet Lake · 167 ac · 2.6 mi
- Perry Lake · 164 ac · 2.8 mi
- Dolney Lake · 272 ac · 3.1 mi
- O'Brien Lake · 186 ac · 3.4 mi
- Goodrich Lake · 382 ac · 4.3 mi
- Pine Lake · 324 ac · 4.5 mi
- Command Lake · 21 ac · 5.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Adney Lake?
Adney Lake reaches 27 ft at its deepest point; about 51% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Adney Lake?
Adney Lake covers 310 acres with about 2.9 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Adney Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Adney Lake average 17 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Adney Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Adney Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Adney Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Adney Lake have a public access?
Yes. Adney Lake has one public access site: Adney Lake (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Adney Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 19"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1998.
When was Adney Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Adney Lake in 2024, the most recent of 7 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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