Minnesota · Wright County
Ann Lake Fishing guide
Ann Lake is a 375-acre lake in Wright County, Minnesota, reaching 18.5 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 7.3 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 12 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
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 Ann Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds.
- 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 79% 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 18.5-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.
- 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 79% 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 18.5-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 | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 10" | — | — |
| 2016 | 23" | 19" | 32" |
| 2006 | 21" | 16" | 34" |
| 1996 | 25" | 12" | 32" |
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 · Trolling
Planer Board Spread
4–6" crankbait or a 5–6 ft crawler harness run out to the side on an in-line planer board
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
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 | 296,583 fry · 2,966 fingerlings · 1,695 yearlings · 6 adults |
| 2024 | Bluegill Sunfish | 240 yearlings |
| 2023 | Bluegill Sunfish | 110 adults |
| 2023 | Largemouth Bass | 60 adults |
| 2023 | Walleye | 303,423 fry · 8,435 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 1,480 fingerlings |
| 2020 | Walleye | 3,600 fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 3,610 fingerlings · 10 adults |
| 2018 | Walleye | 100,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 3,655 fingerlings · 124 adults |
| 2016 | Walleye | 100,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Ann Lake is a popular fishing lake located three miles south of Howard Lake in southern Wright County. The 386-acre lake has a maximum depth of 18.5 feet and a ten-year average water clarity of 3.3 feet. There is one public access located on the west side.
The Walleye fishery of Ann Lake has been managed by stocking since the mid-1970s. Walleye fry were stocked every other year from the mid-1970s until 2012 with supplemental fingerling stocking on a contingency basis. After multiple failed fry stockings from 2003-2010, the primary stocking strategy changed to fingerling stocking (1 lb./littoral acre) every other fall starting in 2013. While DNR does not stock fry in the lake anymore, the lake association supplementally stocked Walleye fry on occasion. Most recently in 2016 and 2018.
Read the full DNR narrative
In 2025, 296,500 surplus Walleye fry from the New London Fish Hatchery were stocked in Ann Lake. Unfortunately, no young of the year (YOY) Walleye were sampled in targeted electrofishing surveys conducted on September 24 and October 9). Indicating that the fry stocking was likely not successful. Fingerling Walleye were then stocked in the fall of 2025 in accordance with the pre-established management plan.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Ann Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Ann 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
- Ann Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Ann Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Emma Lake · 189 ac · 1 mi
- Dutch Lake · 162 ac · 1.9 mi
- Mary Lake · 190 ac · 2.4 mi
- Dog Lake · 97 ac · 3.1 mi
- Howard Lake · 745 ac · 3.2 mi
- Ida Lake · 85 ac · 3.8 mi
- Little Waverly Lake · 338 ac · 4 mi
- Winsted Lake · 382 ac · 4.7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Ann Lake?
Ann Lake reaches 18.5 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 10.1 ft; about 79% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Ann Lake?
Ann Lake covers 375 acres with about 3.6 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Ann Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Ann Lake average 7.3 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Ann Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish.
Is Ann Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Ann Lake have a public access?
Yes. Ann Lake has one public access site: Ann Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Ann Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 10"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1996.
When was Ann Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Ann Lake in 2025, the most recent of 12 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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