Minnesota · Stearns County
Cedar Island Lake Fishing guide
Cedar Island Lake covers 986 acres in Stearns County, Minnesota, reaching 75 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 3.3 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 25 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2017Fair numbers3.8per gill net17"Typical28"Biggest
Lengths measured · 112 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024Lengths measured · 42 fish
2025Lengths measured · 51 fish
2024Lengths measured · 15 fish
2024Lengths measured · 25 fish
2024Largemouth bassJust a few7.2per hr (electrofishing)8"Typical16"Biggest
Lengths measured · 25 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024Lengths measured · 22 fish
2024Lengths measured · 3 fish
2021Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 77 fish
2018Lengths measured · 72 fish
2003Northern pikeFair numbers6per gill net21"Typical33"Biggest
Lengths measured · 176 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024Lengths measured · 52 fish
2024Lengths measured · 35 fish
2024Lengths measured · 89 fish
2021Lengths measured · 67 fish
2018Present and managed by the DNR.
BluegillPresent1.8per gill net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 1091 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024Lengths measured · 557 fish
2024Lengths measured · 20 fish
2024Lengths measured · 217 fish
2024Lengths measured · 25 fish
2021CrappiePresent1.4per gill net9"Typical13"Biggest
Lengths measured · 350 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024Lengths measured · 50 fish
2024Lengths measured · 20 fish
2024Lengths measured · 50 fish
2024Lengths measured · 12 fish
2021Yellow perchFair numbers4.1per gill net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 98 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024Lengths measured · 82 fish
2024Lengths measured · 16 fish
2021Lengths measured · 52 fish
2018Lengths measured · 2 fish
2011Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Channel catfishExcellent numbers6.8per gill net21"Typical29"Biggest
Lengths measured · 161 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2024Lengths measured · 26 fish
2024Lengths measured · 135 fish
2021Lengths measured · 234 fish
2018Lengths measured · 446 fish
2011Rates 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 Cedar Island Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 3.3 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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 75 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.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. In 3.3 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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 75 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 | Walleye | Northern pike | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 24" | — | — |
| 2024 | 27" | 33" | 16" |
| 2023 | 27" | — | — |
| 2022 | 28" | — | — |
| 2021 | 28" | 31" | 10" |
| 2020 | 26" | — | — |
| 2019 | 23" | — | — |
| 2018 | 22" | 32" | 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 · 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
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
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 | Muskellunge | 515 fingerlings |
| 2023 | Muskellunge | 515 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Muskellunge | 515 fingerlings |
| 2019 | Muskellunge | 515 fingerlings |
| 2017 | Muskellunge | 515 fingerlings |
| 2017 | Walleye | 755,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Cedar Island Lake is located near Richmond in south-central Stearns County. A public access is located on the east side of the lake off County Road 71; however, navigable channels connect Cedar Island with Horseshoe Lake and the other downstream lakes within the Sauk River Chain of Lakes (SRCL). Cedar Island Lake has a surface area of 998 acres and a maximum depth of 75 feet.
Prior to 2001, the Walleye fishery was supported through fingerling stocking during odd-numbered years. In 2001, the stocking strategy switched from fingerling stocking to fry stocking and was often supplemented by natural reproduction and fry stocking by the lake association. Fall electrofishing for young-of-the-year (YOY) Walleye was only conducted during stocked years until 2015, when annual sampling was initiated due to the documentation of naturally reproduced year classes. Results from fall YOY electrofishing surveys indicated strong natural reproduction, and Walleye stocking was discontinued in 2018.
Read the full DNR narrative
A targeted fall electrofishing survey was conducted on October 13, 2025. No YOY Walleye were collected during this survey ; however, 42 age-1+ Walleye were captured at a rate of 43.6/hr. Walleye ranged in length from 10.2 to 24.7 inches with and average length of 15.0 inches..
Since the discontinuance of fry stocking in 2018, fall YOY Walleye catch rates have ranged from 0 to 104.2/hr, with a long-term average of approximately 55/hr. Annual fall YOY electrofishing will continue. However, due to YOY Walleye catches remaining below 25/hr for two consecutive years (2024 and 2025), Walleye fry will be stocked in spring 2026 in accordance with the Lake Management Plan.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Cedar Island Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Cedar Island 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
- Cedar Island Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Cedar Island Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Zumwalde Lake · 128 ac · 0.9 mi
- Horseshoe Lake · 629 ac · 1.3 mi
- Schneider Lake · 60 ac · 1.8 mi
- Bolfing Lake · 109 ac · 1.8 mi
- Great Northern Lake · 196 ac · 1.9 mi
- Becker Lake · 221 ac · 2 mi
- Krays Lake · 95 ac · 2.3 mi
- Long Lake · 487 ac · 2.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Cedar Island Lake?
Cedar Island Lake reaches 75 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 7 ft; about 77% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Cedar Island Lake?
Cedar Island Lake covers 986 acres with about 27.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Cedar Island Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Cedar Island Lake average 3.3 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Cedar Island Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, muskellunge, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish.
Is Cedar Island Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked muskellunge in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Cedar Island Lake have a public access?
Yes. Cedar Island Lake has one public access site: Cedar Island Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Cedar Island Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 28"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2018.
When was Cedar Island Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Cedar Island Lake in 2025, the most recent of 25 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Cedar Island Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
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