Minnesota · Washington County
Big Marine Lake Fishing guide
Big Marine Lake covers 1,799 acres in Washington County, Minnesota, reaching 60 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 9.8 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 23 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2024Just a few0.8per gill net16"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 18 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 3 fish
2024Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 15 fish
2022Lengths measured · 39 fish
2020Lengths measured · 51 fish
2018Largemouth bassOne of the best around103.6per hr (electrofishing)11"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 287 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 52 fish
2024Lengths measured · 235 fish
2022Lengths measured · 35 fish
2020Lengths measured · 27 fish
2018Northern pikeOne of the best around16.7per gill net15"Typical29"Biggest
Lengths measured · 401 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 242 fish
2024Lengths measured · 159 fish
2022Lengths measured · 226 fish
2020Lengths measured · 190 fish
2018BluegillPresent8per gill net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 433 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 83 fish
2024Lengths measured · 108 fish
2022Lengths measured · 242 fish
2021Lengths measured · 115 fish
2020CrappiePresent2.8per gill net7"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 66 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 19 fish
2024Lengths measured · 47 fish
2022Lengths measured · 61 fish
2020Lengths measured · 39 fish
2018Yellow perchFair numbers1.7per gill net9"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 38 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 28 fish
2024Lengths measured · 10 fish
2022Lengths measured · 6 fish
2020Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 15 fish
2018Rates 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 Marine Lake through the year
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. On a lake that drops to 60 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
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. On a lake that drops to 60 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 | Largemouth bass | Northern pike | Walleye |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 18" | 29" | 16" |
| 2022 | 17" | 29" | 19" |
| 2020 | 18" | 28" | 23" |
| 2018 | 15" | 27" | 23" |
| 2016 | 15" | 37" | 25" |
| 2014 | 17" | 32" | 24" |
| 2012 | 15" | 31" | 26" |
| 2010 | 18" | 34" | 26" |
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:
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
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
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 | 15,060 fingerlings |
| 2023 | Walleye | 26,412 fingerlings |
| 2022 | Walleye | 12,750 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 4,375 fingerlings |
| 2020 | Walleye | 19,723 fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 24,071 fingerlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 12,794 fingerlings · 1,118 yearlings |
| 2017 | Walleye | 22,896 fingerlings |
| 2016 | Walleye | 30,252 fingerlings · 2,900 yearlings · 104 adults |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
Big Marine Lake is a 1,799 acre, class 24 lake located in northern Washington County. Big Marine Lake is mesotrophic, moderately fertile, and is primarily managed for Walleye and Largemouth Bass. Bluegill and Black Crappie are secondary management species. From 1995 to 2017, Big Marine Lake was stocked with Walleye fingerlings at a rate of 1.0 pounds/littoral acre (1,152 pounds) in even numbered years. The stocking plan has since been altered to more effectively assess of the effects of stocking rate on year class strength. Walleye fingerlings were stocked annually from 2017 to 2022 at varying rates of 1.0 or 0.65 pounds per littoral-acre (1,152 and 749 pounds, respectively). Big Marine Lake was surveyed with gill nets in late-July/early-August of 2024 to monitor Walleye, Northern Pike, and Yellow Perch. The previous gill net survey was conducted in 2022.
Walleye were sampled using gill nets at a rate of 0.25 fish per net. This catch rate is below the average for the lake class and is the lowest Walleye catch ever on Big Marine. The lake's mid-range and long-range management goals for relative abundance are not being met (2 and 4 Walleyes per net, respectively). Average size was small for the lake class and small relative to the history of the lake, with an average length of 15.3 inches. Fish lengths ranged from 14.2 to 16.5 inches. Of the 3 Walleyes sampled, 2 were age 2 and 1 was age 4.
Read the full DNR narrative
Northern Pike were sampled at a rate of 20.2 fish per gill net. This catch rate was the highest catch rate for Big Marine Lake since 2014. Average size for Northern Pike was the smallest ever recorded for Big Marine Lake, with an average length of just 14.8 inches. Only about 5 percent of Northern Pike exceeded 20 inches in length, and the largest was 29.6 inches. The Northern Pike population in Big Marine Lake appears to be very abundant and primarily comprised of smaller fish, which anglers may find unfavorable.
Yellow Perch were sampled at a rate of 2.3 fish per gill net. This catch rate is well below average for the lake class, yet it is the highest since 1999. Average Yellow Perch size was relatively large for the lake, with an average length of 9 inches. The largest measured was 11.6 inches.
Largemouth Bass, Bluegill, and Black Crappie were also sampled in gill nets; however, summer gill nets typically do not produce reliable data to estimate abundance or size structure for these species. It is worth noting that Largemouth Bass as large as 18 inches in length were sampled in gill nets. Other fish species were sampled including Black Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead, Pumpkinseed, and Hybrid Sunfish.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Big Marine Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Big Marine 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 Marine Lake (N) (trailer launch)
- Big Marine Lake (S) (trailer launch)
- Big Marine Lake, Co Park (trailer launch)
- Big Marine Lake Fishing Pier (fishing pier)
DNR bathymetry
Big Marine Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Goose Lake · 76 ac · 4.4 mi
- Bone Lake · 221 ac · 4.8 mi
- Alice Lake · 26 ac · 4.8 mi
- Shields Lake · 30 ac · 4.9 mi
- Square Lake · 203 ac · 5 mi
- Forest Lake · 2,271 ac · 5.8 mi
- Moody Lake · 45 ac · 5.9 mi
- Big Carnelian Lake · 457 ac · 6 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Big Marine Lake?
Big Marine Lake reaches 60 ft at its deepest point; about 64% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Big Marine Lake?
Big Marine Lake covers 1,799 acres with about 16.8 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Big Marine Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Big Marine Lake average 9.8 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Big Marine Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Big Marine Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Big Marine Lake have a public access?
Yes. Big Marine Lake has 4 public access sites, including Big Marine Lake (N) (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Big Marine Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 18"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2010.
When was Big Marine Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Big Marine Lake in 2024, the most recent of 23 surveys on record.
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 Big Marine Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
Open Big Marine Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report