Minnesota · Itasca County
Battle Lake Fishing guide
Battle Lake sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, and covers 243 acres, reaching 15 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 7.3 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 14 times, most recently in 2018, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 8 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeFair numbers1.3per gill net20"Typical27"Biggest
Lengths measured · 18 fish
Recent · 2013 + 2018Lengths measured · 8 fish
2018Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 10 fish
2013Lengths measured · 11 fish
2010Lengths measured · 11 fish
2004Largemouth bassFair numbers37.8per hr (electrofishing)5"Typical17"Biggest
Lengths measured · 12 fish
Recent · 2013 + 2018Lengths measured · 11 fish
2018Lengths measured · 1 fish
2013Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 8 fish
2010Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 4 fish
2004Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Northern pikeJust a few5.7per gill net21"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 78 fish
Recent · 2013 + 2018Lengths measured · 59 fish
2018Lengths measured · 19 fish
2013Lengths measured · 82 fish
2010Lengths measured · 53 fish
2004BluegillJust a few7.3per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 630 fish
Recent · 2011 + 2013 + 2018Lengths measured · 67 fish
2018Lengths measured · 247 fish
2013Lengths measured · 316 fish
2011Lengths measured · 112 fish
2010CrappieJust a few0.8per trap net10"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 43 fish
Recent · 2011 + 2013 + 2018Lengths measured · 16 fish
2018Lengths measured · 4 fish
2013Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 21 fish
2013Lengths measured · 2 fish
2011Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Yellow perchFair numbers2.2per gill net6"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 32 fish
Recent · 2013 + 2018Lengths measured · 26 fish
2018Lengths measured · 6 fish
2013Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 16 fish
2010Lengths measured · 22 fish
2004Rates 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 Battle 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 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 15-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 100% 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 15-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 27" | 17" | 26" |
| 2013 | 25" | 15" | 26" |
| 2010 | 27" | 14" | 27" |
| 2004 | 20" | 15" | 35" |
| 1998 | 20" | 2" | 33" |
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
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
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
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 2018 survey
Battle Lake is in ecological lake class 39 and is located 14 miles east of Effie, MN, in the Bigfork Watershed. The lake is 199 acres and has a maximum depth of 15 feet. A survey targeting nearshore fish species was conducted by Area staff on 5 July, 2018. Ten sampling sites (100 feet long) were evenly spaced around the lake shore, sampling a variety of habitat types. Each site is sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-ft or 15-ft 1/8th inch mesh seine, depending on habitat condition.
Shoreline seining was conducted at nine sites; four using a 50-ft seine and five using a 15-ft seine. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 10 sites. Nearshore sampling captured a total of 13 different species; nine species by seining and 10 species by backpack electrofishing. The species can be found in the gear-specific catch tables in this report.
Nearshore catches will be used with the gill net and trap net data from the standard survey conducted on 16 July, 2018, to calculate a fish-based Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) score which is indicative of lake health. The surveys will assist the watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Battle Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Battle 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
- DNR access: Boat-in access through channel from Pickerel Lake. Small boat only.
DNR bathymetry
Battle Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Pickerel Lake · 241 ac · 0.8 mi
- Poplar Lake · 112 ac · 1.6 mi
- Deer Lake · 1,855 ac · 2.1 mi
- Five Island Lake · 214 ac · 2.3 mi
- Little Bass Lake · 26 ac · 2.4 mi
- Erskine Lake · 40 ac · 2.6 mi
- Button Box Lake · 81 ac · 2.9 mi
- Mirror Lake · 109 ac · 3.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Battle Lake?
Battle Lake reaches 15 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Battle Lake?
Battle Lake covers 243 acres with about 3.5 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Battle Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Battle Lake average 7.3 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Battle Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2018) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Battle Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Battle Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Battle Lake have a public access?
Yes. Battle Lake has one public access site: DNR access (Boat-in access through channel from Pickerel Lake. Small boat only.).
How big do walleye get in Battle Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 27"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1998.
When was Battle Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Battle Lake in 2018, the most recent of 14 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
Featured guide spot
Your guide service here
One featured guide per lake, with your photo, your writeup and a link straight to your booking page. Free through December 31, 2026.
Then $20 a month from January. Cancel any time.
The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Battle Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
Open Battle Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report