Minnesota · Washington County
Big Carnelian Lake Fishing guide
Big Carnelian Lake is a 457-acre lake in Washington County, Minnesota, reaching 66 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 18.3 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 15 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers1.3per gill net21"Typical23"Biggest
Lengths measured · 10 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 10 fish
2025Lengths measured · 2 fish
2015Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 22 fish
2015Lengths measured · 76 fish
2014Largemouth bassJust a few3.2per hr (electrofishing)10"Typical17"Biggest
Lengths measured · 20 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 20 fish
2025Lengths measured · 207 fish
2015Lengths measured · 3 fish
2014Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 10 fish
2009Northern pikeFair numbers6.5per gill net18"Typical32"Biggest
Lengths measured · 52 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 52 fish
2025Lengths measured · 53 fish
2015Lengths measured · 116 fish
2015Lengths measured · 95 fish
2014BluegillJust a few5.3per trap net5"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 98 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 98 fish
2025Lengths measured · 131 fish
2015Lengths measured · 254 fish
2009Lengths measured · 407 fish
2003CrappieJust a few0.3per trap net7"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 12 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 12 fish
2025Lengths measured · 10 fish
2015Lengths measured · 20 fish
2009Lengths measured · 52 fish
2003Yellow perchJust a few0.9per gill net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 11 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 11 fish
2025Lengths measured · 1 fish
2015Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 15 fish
2009Lengths measured · 7 fish
2003Only 7 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 Big Carnelian Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 18.3 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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. On a lake that drops to 66 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 18.3 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. On a lake that drops to 66 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- 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 | Walleye | Northern pike | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 23" | 32" | 17" |
| 2015 | 27" | 28" | 19" |
| 2014 | 28" | 30" | 17" |
| 2009 | 22" | 34" | 14" |
| 2008 | 25" | 30" | 20" |
| 2003 | 21" | 32" | 18" |
| 1998 | 18" | 31" | 14" |
| 1993 | — | 34" | 16" |
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 · 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
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
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
Largemouth bass · Jigs & bladed
Skirted Casting Jig + Craw Trailer
3.5–4" craw-style trailer on a skirted casting/flipping jig
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 | 33,000 fry |
| 2024 | Walleye | 33,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 413 yearlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 2,900 fingerlings |
| 2016 | Walleye | 564 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Big Carnelian Lake is a 457-acre, class 24 lake located in northern Washington County. Northern Pike is the primary management species in Big Carnelian Lake while Walleye and Largemouth Bass are secondary management species. A previously instituted 24-36 inch protected slot length for Northern Pike was dropped in 2020 in favor of the new state-wide Northern Pike limits (inland north-central zone regulations). Walleye stocking success has been evaluated several times over the years. Fry stocking was replaced with fingerling stocking in 2007 due to limited success and currently only surplus Walleye fingerlings are stocked due to limited supply and historically low recruitment in the lake. The fish population was surveyed with both gill nets and trap nets in August 2025. Trap nets were utilized to help inform a concurrent index of biotic integrity (IBI) survey which catalogues fish species in near-shore habitats that are not targeted by standard fish sampling. The previous lake survey was conducted in 2015.
Northern Pike were sampled at a rate of 6.5 fish per gill net. This is similar to the previous survey and typical relative to both the lake class and the lakes historical surveys. Fish size was small for the lake class with a mean length of 19.7 inches and a maximum of 32.6 inches although only one fish was sampled over 26 inches.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Big Carnelian Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Big Carnelian 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
- Big Carnelian Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Big Carnelian Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Square Lake · 203 ac · 1.4 mi
- McKusick Lake · 49 ac · 5.2 mi
- Big Marine Lake · 1,799 ac · 6 mi
- Lily Lake · 44 ac · 6.2 mi
- Alice Lake · 26 ac · 6.2 mi
- Goose Lake · 76 ac · 9.1 mi
- White Bear Lake · 2,428 ac · 9.6 mi
- Lost Lake · 22 ac · 9.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Big Carnelian Lake?
Big Carnelian Lake reaches 66 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 26 ft; about 29% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Big Carnelian Lake?
Big Carnelian Lake covers 457 acres with about 5.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Big Carnelian Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Big Carnelian Lake average 18.3 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Big Carnelian Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Big Carnelian Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Big Carnelian Lake have a public access?
Yes. Big Carnelian Lake has one public access site: Big Carnelian Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Big Carnelian Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 23"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1993.
When was Big Carnelian Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Big Carnelian Lake in 2025, the most recent of 15 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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