Minnesota · Itasca County
Balsam Lake Fishing guide
Balsam Lake sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, and covers 716 acres, reaching 37 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 7.4 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 13 times, most recently in 2022, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Northern pikeFair numbers6per gill net22"Typical36"Biggest
Lengths measured · 74 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 74 fish
2022Lengths measured · 112 fish
2016Lengths measured · 116 fish
2011Lengths measured · 113 fish
2008BluegillJust a few23.4per trap net5"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 321 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 321 fish
2022Lengths measured · 249 fish
2016Lengths measured · 5 fish
2011Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 4 fish
2008Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
CrappieJust a few2.8per trap net8"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 83 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 83 fish
2022Lengths measured · 104 fish
2016Lengths measured · 35 fish
2011Lengths measured · 4 fish
2008Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Yellow perchGood numbers4.7per gill net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 56 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 56 fish
2022Lengths measured · 22 fish
2016Lengths measured · 26 fish
2011Lengths measured · 17 fish
2008Rock bassGood numbers0.8per trap net7"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 19 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 19 fish
2022Lengths measured · 20 fish
2016Lengths measured · 10 fish
2011Lengths measured · 5 fish
2008Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
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 Balsam 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.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
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.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
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 | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 36" | 25" | 19" |
| 2016 | 35" | 29" | 19" |
| 2011 | 36" | 25" | — |
| 2008 | 35" | 23" | — |
| 2006 | 37" | 27" | 18" |
| 2000 | 36" | 24" | 18" |
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 · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
Walleye · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Trolling
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
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 2022 survey
Balsam Lake is a class 25 lake located 14 miles north of Taconite, MN. The lake has one public access and is moderately developed. Balsam Lake has a history of producing large Northern Pike. A special regulation was implemented in the spring of 2006 to maintain or improve size structure. The regulation requires all Northern Pike from 24 to 36 inches be released and only one over 36 inches can be in possession. The daily limit is three. The 2017 lake management plan (LMP) indicates Northern Pike as the primary species of management with Black Crappie and Largemouth Bass as secondary species. The LMP goals include maintaining the Northern Pike gill net catch at 5.3/net with 70, 25, and 10% of the fish over 21, 28, and 34 inches. Other goals were to maintain the Black Crappie gill net or trap net catch near 3.0/net and maintain a spring night electrofishing catch for Largemouth Bass greater than 15/hour on-time.
A standard survey was conducted in June of 2022 to assess the fish community and evaluate the Northern Pike special regulation. A total of 12 gill nets and 12 trap nets were used in the survey. Additional sampling of near shore fish species was conducted to calculate an Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) score. The IBI information is in a separate Targeted Survey report. Electrofishing for Largemouth Bass was not completed in 2022 due to staffing and workload considerations.
Read the full DNR narrative
Northern Pike gill net catch rates have ranged from 3.3 to 10.4 fish/net since 1966. The 2022 catch of 6.0 fish/net was below average for the lake but near the LMP goal. Lower pike numbers are desirable because slow growth and poor size structure is more common when densities are high. Northern Pike ranged from 14.6 to 36.2 inches and averaged 23 inches. Size structure goals were not achieved since only 60, 18, and 3% of the sample were 21, 28, and 34 inches long. Size quality of pike appears to have modestly improved since the regulation went into effect and good angling opportunities exist.
Black Crappie catch rates have been quite variable since 1966, however size structure resembled past surveys. The gill net catch rate exceeded the LMP goal in 2022 (4.0 fish/net). The gill net sampled fish ranged from 5.0 to 12.5 inches and averaged 8.7 inches. Nearly 22 percent of captured crappie exceeded 10 inches. Given the relative abundance and size structure, modest angling opportunities appear to exist.
Balsam Lake has a history of producing high numbers of small Bluegill. The 2022 trap net catch was near the lake average and typical compared to similar lakes. Bluegill lengths ranged from 3.0 to 8.9 inches and averaged 5.9 inches. Only 6 percent of the sampled Bluegill exceeded 8 inches. Good angling opportunities of moderate-sized sunfish appear to exist given the abundance and size structure.
Tullibee are an important prey fish but are difficult to sample with our standard summer surveys due to their pelagic nature. Catch rates have ranged from 0 to 14.2 fish/gill net since 1966. Like many Minnesota lakes, Tullibee in Balsam appear to have declined over time. The catch of 1.2/net in 2022 was typical for lakes with similar habitats but below average for Balsam. The sampled fish ranged from 8.7 to 15.1 inches and averaged 12.7 inches.
Yellow Perch catches have typically been low, ranging from 0 to 5.6/gill net since 1966. In 2022, the catch was 4.7 fish/gill net. The sampled fish ranged from 5.6 to 8.5 inches and had a mean length of 6.3 inches. Yellow Perch are unlikely to attract angler interest due to their poor size structure and low numbers.
Lakes like Balsam seldom have good Walleye populations because they have low productivity, bog-stained water, and low perch numbers. Past evaluations have determined Walleye natural reproduction was poor and various stocking strategies have failed to produce a viable fishery. Since 1966, the gill net catch rates have fluctuated from 0 to 1.0 Walleye/net and the catch was 0.1/net in 2022. Despite Walleye stocking being popular with anglers, it has not been effective in Balsam, and it would not be a wise use of future resources.
Other species observed during the survey included Brown Bullhead, Largemouth Bass, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Rock Bass, and Yellow Bullhead.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Balsam Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Balsam 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
- Balsam Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Balsam Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- King Lake · 311 ac · 1.4 mi
- Scrapper Lake · 173 ac · 1.6 mi
- Haskell Lake · 93 ac · 1.6 mi
- Burrows Lake · 306 ac · 3.4 mi
- Lower Balsam Lake · 259 ac · 3.7 mi
- Long (Main Bay) Lake · 346 ac · 4.2 mi
- Lost Moose Lake · 112 ac · 4.4 mi
- Elizabeth Lake · 193 ac · 4.6 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Balsam Lake?
Balsam Lake reaches 37 ft at its deepest point; about 41% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Balsam Lake?
Balsam Lake covers 716 acres with about 10.3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Balsam Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Balsam Lake average 7.4 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Balsam Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2022) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Balsam Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Balsam Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Balsam Lake have a public access?
Yes. Balsam Lake has one public access site: Balsam Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Balsam Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 36"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2000.
When was Balsam Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Balsam Lake in 2022, the most recent of 13 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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