Minnesota · St. Louis County
Big Lake Fishing guide
Big Lake is a 1,904-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota, reaching 22 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 7.2 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 10 times, most recently in 2019, with walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 7 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2024Excellent numbers8.2per gill net15"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 420 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2019Lengths measured · 221 fish
2019Lengths measured · 199 fish
2014Lengths measured · 178 fish
2009Lengths measured · 184 fish
2004Smallmouth bassJust a few1.9per hr (electrofishing)14"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 17 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2019Lengths measured · 12 fish
2019Lengths measured · 5 fish
2014Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 4 fish
2009Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 3 fish
2004Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Northern pikeJust a few1.2per gill net20"Typical29"Biggest
Lengths measured · 59 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2019Lengths measured · 29 fish
2019Lengths measured · 30 fish
2014Lengths measured · 24 fish
2009Lengths measured · 32 fish
2004No recent survey rating.
CrappieJust a few0.3per trap net9"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 12 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2019Lengths measured · 7 fish
2019Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 5 fish
2014Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 2 fish
2009Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Yellow perchGood numbers8.8per gill net7"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 218 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2019Lengths measured · 109 fish
2019Lengths measured · 109 fish
2014Lengths measured · 73 fish
2009Lengths measured · 135 fish
2004Rock bassFair numbers0.5per gill net7"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 20 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2019Lengths measured · 12 fish
2019Lengths measured · 8 fish
2014Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 49 fish
2009Lengths 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 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. With 80% 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.
Smallmouth bass
- Spring
- Smallmouth are on shallow rock, gravel and sand where they spawn.
- Early summer
- Smallmouth are post-spawn on rock points, gravel bars and the adjacent breaks.
- Summer
- Smallmouth are on rock humps, points and hard-bottom breaks. With 80% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Smallmouth are bunched tight on deep rock, so find one and you have found the school.
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 | Smallmouth bass | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 26" | 18" | 28" |
| 2014 | 23" | 17" | 29" |
| 2009 | 27" | 14" | 22" |
| 2004 | 25" | 16" | 32" |
| 1999 | 27" | 13" | 30" |
| 1994 | 29" | — | 28" |
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
Planer Board Spread
4–6" crankbait or a 5–6 ft crawler harness run out to the side on an in-line planer board
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Ned Rig
2.75" finesse stickbait or craw-style Ned bait
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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | 750,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 750,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 750,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 750,000 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 750,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2019 survey
Big Lake is a 1,904 acre lake located 13 miles northwest of Ely. The main access is a ramp off the Echo Trail but there is also a portage access on the west side to La Pond and a water route access from the Portage River into the same bay the La Pond portage originates from. The lake has a maximum depth of 22 feet and brown bog-stained water.
Big Lake was thoroughly mixed on August 19, 2019 with an entire water column temperature of 70 F and oxygen levels adequate for gamefish from the surface to the bottom. Big Lake has four relatively minor inlets and one outlet. The outlet is the aforementioned water route access to the Portage River. Lake bottom substrates along the shoreline are mostly boulder and ledge rock with muck in some of the bays. Aquatic plants are sparse but do grow in the shallow water in some of the bays. There are four designated US Forest Service administered campsites, three of which are located on islands, and the fourth is on the west shore and is technically within the BWCAW. None of the lake is in the BWCAW but approximately 1 mile of shoreline on the west side is within it. Additionally there are two resorts on the lake. The shoreline ownership is split between US Forest Service, State of Minnesota, and private ownership.
Read the full DNR narrative
The overall gillnet catch rate for all fish combined was 39.3 fish/net which was average compared to past catches for the lake. Total yield was 58.7 lbs/net which was also near the average. Fish species sampled in gill nets were white sucker, walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, rock bass, smallmouth bass, and black crappie. The overall trapnet catch rate for all fish combined was 11.3 fish/net which was the second lowest on record for the lake. Total yield was 17.9 lbs/net which was just below average. No additional species were sampled in trap nets that weren't also caught in gill nets.
The 2019 walleye gillnet catch rate was 9.5 fish/net, which was above average compared to other similar lakes and compared to past surveys for Big Lake. Walleye lengths from gill nets ranged from 7 to just over 26 inches with an average of 14 inches which was comparable to past surveys. Growth was slow compared to other lakes in the area however this is typical of some dark water lakes. It takes on average 6 years for a Big Lake walleye to reach over 15 inches. Ages ranged from 1 to 18 with the bulk of the catch being under 8 years old. Walleye fry are stocked. Although it was not a year when fry were stocked, the 2012 year class was the strongest.
The northern pike gillnet catch rate was 1.3 fish/net which was low compared to other similar lakes but about average for Big Lake. Sizes ranged from 17 to 28 inches with an average of 21 inches. The average weight was just over 2 pounds which was slightly better than average compared to other similar lakes. Throughout all past surveys on the lake, northern pike catch rates and lengths have been remarkably consistent.
Electrofishing was used for the first time on Big Lake for spring smallmouth bass sampling. Five smallmouth bass were captured in 2.67 hours of on-time for a total catch rate of 1.9 fish/hour. This was low compared to other area smallmouth lakes, although the shoreline characteristics of Big Lake can make electrofishing somewhat challenging. Sizes were good ranging from 12 to 19 inches with an average of nearly 16 inches. Seven additional smallmouth were sampled in gill nets. Growth rates were exceptional compared to other smallmouth lakes in the area. At 4 years old, the average smallmouth was nearly 14 inches long.
Four black crappie were sampled in trap nets for a catch rate of 0.3 fish/net which was low compared to other similar lakes. Three additional fish were sampled in the gill nets and this was the third consecutive survey where black crappie were caught, none had been sampled prior to 2009. Lengths of all fish ranged from 5 to nearly 12 inches with an average of just over 9 inches. Ages ranged from 1 to 6.
The yellow perch gill net catch rate (8.4/gill net) was slightly below average compared to other similar lakes but right around normal for Big Lake. Perch sizes in 2019 were similar to past investigations, averaging nearly 8 inches with some fish measuring around 12 inches.
Big Lake has always had a substantial sucker population and this survey showed no signs of them slowing down. The gillnet catch was 18.7 fish/net which was around average for the lake and considerably higher than other similar lakes. Sizes were similar to past surveys with an average of 17 inches and a maximum of 22 inches.
Rock bass were also sampled but in low numbers which was comparable to recent past surveys.
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 (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Big Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Agassa Lake · 72 ac · 2.3 mi
- Ed Shave Lake · 91 ac · 2.5 mi
- North Hegman Lake · 70 ac · 4.3 mi
- South Hegman Lake · 118 ac · 4.4 mi
- Slim Lake · 312 ac · 4.4 mi
- Big Moose Lake · 1,025 ac · 4.5 mi
- Regenbogen Lake · 11 ac · 4.7 mi
- Coxey Pond · 192 ac · 5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Big Lake?
Big Lake reaches 22 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 9 ft; about 80% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Big Lake?
Big Lake covers 1,904 acres with about 25.9 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Big Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Big Lake average 7.2 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Big Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2019) record walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Big Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Big Lake have a public access?
Yes. Big Lake has one public access site: Big Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Big Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 26"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1994.
When was Big Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Big Lake in 2019, the most recent of 10 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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