Minnesota · St. Louis County
Big Lake Fishing guide
Big Lake is a 809-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota, reaching 30 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 8 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 5 times, most recently in 2013, with walleye, northern pike, yellow perch and rock bass in the nets. That survey is 13 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeGood numbers4.4per gill net12"Typical22"Biggest
Lengths measured · 35 fish
Recent · 2013Lengths measured · 35 fish
2013Lengths measured · 35 fish
1993Northern pikeJust a few4.3per gill net21"Typical35"Biggest
Lengths measured · 34 fish
Recent · 2013Lengths measured · 34 fish
2013Lengths measured · 23 fish
1993Yellow perchFair numbers3.4per gill net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 27 fish
Recent · 2013Lengths measured · 27 fish
2013Lengths measured · 21 fish
1993Rock bassElite fishery15per gill net8"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 120 fish
Recent · 2013Lengths measured · 120 fish
2013Lengths measured · 30 fish
1993Rates 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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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 | Yellow perch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 22" | 35" | 9" |
| 1993 | 26" | 37" | 10" |
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
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
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
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 2013 survey
Big Lake (69-0050) also known as Devilfish, is located 13 miles east of Hoyt Lakes. The public access is via a 2.5 mile long hiking trail administered by the US Forest Service that starts at the Stone Lake access parking lot and goes northeast, crossing the railroad tracks as it approaches the southwest corner of Big Lake. At the time of this assessment the trail was not being maintained. Contact the US Forest Service Laurentian Ranger District (218-229-8800) for more information.
This 805 acre lake is the headwater for the South Branch of the Partridge River. It has a maximum depth of 30.0 feet and the water color is brown. On July 16, 2013 the lake had a surface temperature of 72 F and a bottom temperature of 55 F. Oxygen levels were adequate for fish to a depth of 21.0 feet. Shoreline substrates consist of mostly boulder with some sand, gravel, and muck.
Read the full DNR narrative
The overall gillnet catch rate for all fish combined in this survey was 27 fish/gill net which is average for this lake. Fish species sampled were rock bass (55%), walleye (16%), northern pike (16%), yellow perch (12%), and white sucker (1%).
Thirty-five walleye were caught in gill nets for a rate of 4.4 fish/net, just below the average compared to other similar lakes in the state. This is a lower catch rate than the two previous surveys that sampled walleye at 26.5 fish/net in 1988 and 8.8 fish/net in 1993. Fish ranged in size from 7.0 to 22.0 inches with an average of 12.5 inches. Growth rates for walleye in Big Lake were extremely slow when compared to other walleye lakes in the area. Ages ranged from 1 to 11 with 40% of the fish aged coming from the 2011 year class. Thirty-one percent of the walleye were infested with neascus (black spot).
The northern pike gillnet catch was 4.3 fish/net which is above the average for similar lakes throughout the state. Lengths ranged from 12.0 to 36.0 inches with an average of 22.0 inches. Growth is slightly slower than other lakes with northern pike in them in the area. Ages ranged from 1 to 10. Twenty-six percent of the pike were infested with neascus (black spot).
The yellow perch catch rate was 3.4 fish/net and is lower than other similar lakes throughout the state. Lengths ranged from 6.0 to 10.0 inches with an average of 7.0 inches.
Rock bass numbers have increased over time with the 2013 catch setting the new high mark at 15.0 fish/gill net. This is much higher than other similar lakes in the state. The rock bass are also quite large with an average weight of 0.4 pound/fish. Lengths ranged from 4.0 to 10.0 inches with an average of 8.0 inches.
The white sucker catch was the lowest recorded (0.4 fish/gill net) and are showing a declining trend through time. Lengths ranged from 14.0 to 19.0 inches with an average of 17.0 inches.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Big Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Big 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 Lake (carry-in)
DNR bathymetry
Big Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Seven Beaver Lake · 1,414 ac · 2.9 mi
- Pine Lake · 450 ac · 5.5 mi
- Sand Lake · 487 ac · 9.4 mi
- Bird Lake · 16 ac · 10 mi
- Greenwood Lake · 1,329 ac · 10.4 mi
- Cadotte Lake · 294 ac · 10.9 mi
- Bassett Lake · 403 ac · 11.4 mi
- Stony Lake · 249 ac · 12.7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Big Lake?
Big Lake reaches 30 ft at its deepest point; about 47% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Big Lake?
Big Lake covers 809 acres with about 9.8 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Big Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Big Lake average 8 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Big Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2013) record walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Big Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Big Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Big Lake have a public access?
Yes. Big Lake has one public access site: Big Lake (carry-in).
How big do walleye get in Big Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 22"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1993.
When was Big Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Big Lake in 2013, the most recent of 5 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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