Minnesota · Crow Wing County
Arrowhead Lake Fishing guide
Arrowhead Lake covers 296 acres in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, reaching 13 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 6.5 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 9 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeOne of the best around21per gill net17"Typical32"Biggest
Lengths measured · 74 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 74 fish
2024Lengths measured · 58 fish
2018Lengths measured · 78 fish
2011Lengths measured · 41 fish
2005BluegillJust a few15.5per trap net6"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 118 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 118 fish
2024Lengths measured · 252 fish
2018Lengths measured · 88 fish
2011Lengths measured · 166 fish
2005Yellow perchExcellent numbers22per gill net5"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 70 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 70 fish
2024Lengths measured · 64 fish
2018Lengths measured · 90 fish
2011Lengths measured · 59 fish
2005Rates 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 Arrowhead Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth.
- 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. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops. A 13-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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 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 13-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 | Northern pike | Walleye | Yellow perch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 32" | 26" | 8" |
| 2018 | 29" | 27" | 10" |
| 2011 | 31" | 16" | 10" |
| 2005 | 34" | 27" | 8" |
| 2000 | 30" | 15" | 9" |
| 1995 | 31" | 20" | 7" |
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:
Northern pike · Hardbaits
Weedless Spoon + Trailer (Silver Minnow)
3/8–1/2 oz weedless spoon
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Walleye · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Yellow perch · Live bait
Slip Bobber + Leech
jumbo or large leech
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
Northern pike were sampled in high numbers at 21.0/net. Average length was 20.5", with 13% measuring 26" or larger. Fish up to 32.9" were sampled.
Walleyes are not stocked into Arrowhead but are stocked annually as fry and every other year as fingerlings into the Whitefish Chain. Only one Walleye measuring 26.3" was caught in 2024.
Read the full DNR narrative
Largemouth Bass electrofishing was conducted at various stations across the Whitefish Chain of Lakes, resulting in a combined catch rate of 44.9/hour. Average length was 13.1" and 65% were over 12", with fish up to 19.2" sampled.
Black Crappies were sampled in average numbers in gill nets (2.3/net) and below average numbers in trap nets (0.3/net). Size was nice in both, with an average length of 11.2" in gill nets and 12.2" in trap nets. With both gears combined, all the fish were at least 10.0" in length. Black crappies up to 13.7" were sampled. This is a large increase in size from the previous survey in 2018. This could be due to the survey being conducted in early June, when panfish are still in shallow water post-spawn.
Bluegills were sampled in average numbers in trap nets at 15.5/net. Average length was 6.4" with 34% at least 7.0" and 15% at least 8" in length. Fish over 10 inches were present, indicating high size quality. A special regulation on the Whitefish Chain reduced the daily limit of Sunfish and Crappie to 5 of each in 2021.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Arrowhead Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Arrowhead 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
- Public access: Access via channel on west end from Upper Whitefish.
DNR bathymetry
Arrowhead Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Whitefish Lake · 7,714 ac · 1.8 mi
- Big Trout Lake · 1,366 ac · 2.8 mi
- Pig Lake · 196 ac · 3 mi
- Clamshell Lake · 211 ac · 3.3 mi
- Bertha Lake · 337 ac · 4 mi
- Island Lake · 232 ac · 4 mi
- Grass Lake · 46 ac · 4.1 mi
- Rush Lake · 858 ac · 4.1 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Arrowhead Lake?
Arrowhead Lake reaches 13 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Arrowhead Lake?
Arrowhead Lake covers 296 acres with about 4.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Arrowhead Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Arrowhead Lake average 6.5 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Arrowhead Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Arrowhead Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Arrowhead Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Arrowhead Lake have a public access?
Yes. Arrowhead Lake has one public access site: Public access (Access via channel on west end from Upper Whitefish.).
How big do northern pike get in Arrowhead Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 32"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.
When was Arrowhead Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Arrowhead Lake in 2024, the most recent of 9 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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