Minnesota · Itasca County
Big Too Much Lake Fishing guide
Big Too Much Lake sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, and covers 292 acres, reaching 95 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 14 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 10 times, most recently in 2022, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
BluegillFair numbers30.1per trap net5"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 271 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 271 fish
2022Lengths measured · 151 fish
2020Lengths measured · 126 fish
2015Lengths measured · 417 fish
2007Yellow perchPresent3.1per hr (electrofishing)8"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 15 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 15 fish
2022Lengths measured · 15 fish
2020Lengths measured · 68 fish
2007Lengths measured · 14 fish
1999Rock bassExcellent numbers1.9per trap net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 17 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 17 fish
2022Lengths measured · 28 fish
2020Lengths measured · 12 fish
2015Lengths measured · 48 fish
2007Rates 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 Too Much Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 14 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 95 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.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. At 14 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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 95 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 17" | 16" | 21" |
| 2020 | 19" | 17" | 36" |
| 2015 | 20" | — | 35" |
| 2007 | 28" | 17" | 36" |
| 1999 | 28" | 17" | 32" |
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
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 · Jigs & bladed
Inline Spinner (Mepps/Blue Fox)
#2–#4 in-line spinner
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 2022 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Big Too Much Lake was conducted on June 27-29, 2022, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 10 sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample six stations, a 15-foot seine was used to sample two stations, and site conditions prevented the use of a seine at two stations. Nearshore sampling captured 17 species of fish including six species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Mimic Shiner, and Rock Bass) and one that is tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Fathead Minnow).
A concurrent summer trap net survey was conducted by IBI Program Staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline and in shallow offshore locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Bluegill comprised a majority of the trap net catch by number and biomass. The number of Bluegill sampled per net was above the 50% quartile for similar Lake Class 23 lakes and the average length was 5.2 inches, with 23% over 7 inches.
Read the full DNR narrative
The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from a June 2020 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, and Iowa Darter), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.
Data from this survey indicates Big Too Much Lake is in good health as indicated by an FIBI score well above the impairment threshold and exceptional thresholds for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Big Fork River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Big Too Much Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Big Too Much 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 Too Much Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Big Too Much Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Hatch Lake · 226 ac · 1.9 mi
- Long Lake · 155 ac · 2.2 mi
- Peterson Lake · 163 ac · 2.5 mi
- Little Turtle Lake · 492 ac · 2.9 mi
- Maple Lake · 255 ac · 3 mi
- Bello Lake · 527 ac · 3.6 mi
- East Lake · 111 ac · 3.7 mi
- Turtle Lake · 2,126 ac · 3.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Big Too Much Lake?
Big Too Much Lake reaches 95 ft at its deepest point; about 19% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Big Too Much Lake?
Big Too Much Lake covers 292 acres with about 5.4 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Big Too Much Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Big Too Much Lake average 14 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Big Too Much Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2022) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Big Too Much Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Big Too Much Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Big Too Much Lake have a public access?
Yes. Big Too Much Lake has one public access site: Big Too Much Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Big Too Much Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 17"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1999.
When was Big Too Much Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Big Too Much Lake in 2022, the most recent of 10 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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