Minnesota · St. Louis County
Cadotte Lake Fishing guide
Cadotte Lake is a 294-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota, reaching 18 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 10.5 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 5 times, most recently in 2020, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 6 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeOne of the best around14.6per gill net14"Typical27"Biggest
Lengths measured · 264 fish
Recent · 2011 + 2020Lengths measured · 85 fish
2020Lengths measured · 179 fish
2011Lengths measured · 162 fish
2003Northern pikeJust a few1.1per gill net22"Typical42"Biggest
Lengths measured · 32 fish
Recent · 2011 + 2020Lengths measured · 17 fish
2020Lengths measured · 15 fish
2011Lengths measured · 5 fish
2003Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
BluegillJust a few0.6per trap net3"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 13 fish
Recent · 2011 + 2020Lengths measured · 4 fish
2020Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 9 fish
2011Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 6 fish
2003Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
No recent survey rating.
Yellow perchElite fishery39.3per gill net7"Typical14"Biggest
Lengths measured · 635 fish
Recent · 2011 + 2020Lengths measured · 142 fish
2020Lengths measured · 493 fish
2011Lengths measured · 235 fish
2003Rates 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 Cadotte Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 10.5 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. With 78% 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. A 18-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. At 10.5 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. With 78% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze. A 18-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 27" | — | 42" |
| 2011 | 26" | 7" | 32" |
| 2003 | 26" | — | 30" |
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
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
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.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2020 survey
Cadotte Lake is a 294-acre lake with 230 (78%) littoral acres and a maximum depth of 18 feet. The lake is located near Fairbanks, MN and lies within the Superior National Forest. The public access is located on the west side of the lake and is near a U.S. Forest Service campground. Walleye is the primary management species and Yellow Perch is the secondary management species. Cadotte was last surveyed in 2011. Cadotte was surveyed during the summer of 2020 to update information about fish populations.
The Walleye reproduce naturally in Cadotte and the lake has not been stocked since 1986. Walleye abundance of 9.9 per gillnet lift was down from 2011 (18.2) but still above average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Walleye average length was 14.6 inches and growth was average compared to other Duluth Area lakes. The proportion of adult Walleye captured that exceeded quality size (greater than 15 inches) was 29%. Back to back strong year-classes were evident from 2016 and 2017 but representation from the 2013 through 2015 year-classes was poor.
Read the full DNR narrative
In addition to Walleye, Cadotte Lake offers quality angling opportunities for Yellow Perch. Yellow Perch abundance of 20.1 per gillnet lift was down from 2011 (54.1) but still above average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Yellow Perch average length was 7.7 inches and growth was fast compared to other Duluth Area lakes. The proportion of adult Yellow Perch captured that exceeded preferred size (greater than 10 inches) was 21%. Bluegill were scarce and small and no Black Crappies were captured.
Northern Pike abundance of 1.4 per gillnet lift was up from 2011 (0.9) and average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Northern Pike average length was 25.1 inches and one large specimen was captured that exceeded 42 inches in length.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Cadotte Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Cadotte 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
- Cadotte Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Cadotte Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Bassett Lake · 403 ac · 0.7 mi
- Salo Lake · 141 ac · 5.1 mi
- Wolf Lake · 456 ac · 7.6 mi
- Indian Lake · 57 ac · 7.8 mi
- Pine Lake · 450 ac · 8 mi
- Harris Lake · 68 ac · 8.1 mi
- Seven Beaver Lake · 1,414 ac · 9.5 mi
- Bird Lake · 16 ac · 10.1 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Cadotte Lake?
Cadotte Lake reaches 18 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 11.3 ft; about 78% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Cadotte Lake?
Cadotte Lake covers 294 acres with about 3.7 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Cadotte Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Cadotte Lake average 10.5 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Cadotte Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2020) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Cadotte Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Cadotte Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Cadotte Lake have a public access?
Yes. Cadotte Lake has one public access site: Cadotte Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Cadotte Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 27"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2003.
When was Cadotte Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Cadotte Lake in 2020, 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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