Minnesota · St. Louis County
Caribou Lake Fishing guide
Caribou Lake sits in St. Louis County, Minnesota, and covers 539 acres, reaching 21 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 8.1 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 9 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Excellent numbers6.3per gill net17"Typical24"Biggest
Lengths measured · 66 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 66 fish
2023Lengths measured · 42 fish
2015Lengths measured · 17 fish
2010Lengths measured · 23 fish
2005Largemouth bassJust a few12.3per hr (electrofishing)14"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 32 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2025Lengths measured · 4 fish
2025Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 28 fish
2023Lengths measured · 24 fish
2015Lengths measured · 69 fish
2010Northern pikeGood numbers11.7per gill net19"Typical28"Biggest
Lengths measured · 122 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2025Lengths measured · 3 fish
2025Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 119 fish
2023Lengths measured · 84 fish
2015Lengths measured · 120 fish
2010BluegillJust a few17.8per trap net4"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 1518 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2025Lengths measured · 1256 fish
2025Lengths measured · 262 fish
2023Lengths measured · 224 fish
2015Lengths measured · 299 fish
2010CrappieJust a few3.3per trap net5"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 148 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2025Lengths measured · 7 fish
2025Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 141 fish
2023Lengths measured · 119 fish
2015Lengths measured · 134 fish
2010Yellow perchFair numbers1.7per gill net6"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 16 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2025Lengths measured · 1 fish
2025Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 15 fish
2023Lengths measured · 120 fish
2015Lengths measured · 50 fish
2010Rock bassFair numbers0.6per trap net8"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 10 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2025Lengths measured · 3 fish
2025Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 7 fish
2023Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 4 fish
2015Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 7 fish
2010Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Rates 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 Caribou 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 90% 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.
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. With 90% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- 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 | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | 20" | 5" |
| 2023 | 24" | 28" | 18" |
| 2015 | 24" | 29" | 17" |
| 2010 | 27" | 33" | 17" |
| 2005 | 29" | 26" | 20" |
| 2000 | 27" | 24" | 11" |
| 1997 | 28" | 27" | 19" |
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 · Hardbaits
Weedless Spoon + Trailer (Silver Minnow)
3/8–1/2 oz weedless spoon
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Jigs & bladed
Swim Jig + Paddletail Trailer
3.5–4.5" paddletail trailer on a bullet-nosed swim jig
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | 12,636 fingerlings |
| 2023 | Walleye | 11,142 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 16,509 fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 11,658 fingerlings |
| 2017 | Walleye | 9,720 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Caribou Lake was conducted on June 30th-July 3rd, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment (LBMA) program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing, mini-fyke nets, and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at 14 sampling stations. Similarly, a 1/8" mesh mini-fyke net was used to sample 14 stations. Finally, a 50-foot seine was used to sample eight stations, and a 15-foot seine was used at two stations. Nearshore sampling captured 17 species of fish.
The nearshore data along with gill net and standard trap net data will be used to develop fish community models for Northeast Minnesota lakes, which will be used to measure lake health. These models may function similarly to fish IBI models developed for lakes across much of the rest of the state. For additional information, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. You can help protect the fish community in Caribou Lake by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Caribou Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Caribou 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
- Caribou Lake (trailer launch)
- Caribou Lake (E) (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Caribou Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Pike Lake · 488 ac · 2.3 mi
- Mud Lake · 51 ac · 3 mi
- Fish Lake Flowage · 3,259 ac · 3.5 mi
- Grand Lake · 1,665 ac · 4.4 mi
- Little Grand Lake · 65 ac · 5.5 mi
- Little Grand Lake · 176 ac · 5.8 mi
- Wild Rice Lake · 2,372 ac · 6.1 mi
- Clearwater Lake · 15 ac · 6.7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Caribou Lake?
Caribou Lake reaches 21 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 9 ft; about 90% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Caribou Lake?
Caribou Lake covers 539 acres with about 5.6 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Caribou Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Caribou Lake average 8.1 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Caribou Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Caribou Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Caribou Lake have a public access?
Yes. Caribou Lake has 2 public access sites, including Caribou Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Caribou Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 24"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1997.
When was Caribou Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Caribou Lake in 2025, the most recent of 9 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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