Minnesota · Hennepin County
Cedar Lake Fishing guide
Cedar Lake is a 164-acre lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota, reaching 51 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 5.4 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 10 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and muskellunge in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeFair numbers6per gill net23"Typical29"Biggest
Lengths measured · 39 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 39 fish
2024Lengths measured · 56 fish
2019Lengths measured · 28 fish
2014Lengths measured · 10 fish
2009Present and managed by the DNR. Standard survey gear does not count this species reliably.
BluegillGood numbers70.6per trap net5"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 611 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 611 fish
2024Lengths measured · 804 fish
2019Lengths measured · 276 fish
2014Lengths measured · 584 fish
2009CrappieJust a few2.5per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 52 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 52 fish
2024Lengths measured · 368 fish
2019Lengths measured · 34 fish
2014Lengths measured · 44 fish
2009Yellow perchFair numbers1.3per gill net6"Typical6"Biggest
Lengths measured · 11 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 11 fish
2024Lengths measured · 8 fish
2019Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 14 fish
2014Lengths measured · 44 fish
2009Last recorded in the 2009 survey and not seen since.
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 Cedar Lake through the year
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 51 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.
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 51 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 | Northern pike | Largemouth bass | Muskellunge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 29" | 15" | — |
| 2019 | 31" | 19" | — |
| 2014 | 35" | 16" | — |
| 2009 | 34" | 15" | — |
| 2005 | 32" | 20" | — |
| 2003 | 28" | 14" | — |
| 2000 | 30" | 18" | 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:
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
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
Muskellunge · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
Muskellunge · Muskie & pike
Big Paddletail Swimbait
10" hollow or solid-body paddletail swimbait
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 | 63 fingerlings |
| 2024 | Muskellunge | 63 fingerlings |
| 2022 | Muskellunge | 63 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Muskellunge | 63 fingerlings |
| 2018 | Muskellunge | 63 fingerlings |
| 2016 | Muskellunge | 63 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
Cedar is a 164-acre lake located in Minneapolis. It is the most upstream of the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes; downstream and connected are Lake of the Isles and Bde Maka Ska. A city park, maintained by the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board, surrounds the majority of the lake. This public land provides ample shorefishing opportunities, including a fishing pier. Cedar has multiple locations to carry in small craft, and larger boats can access from the Bde Maka Ska boat ramp and travelling through two channels and Lake of the Isles. Motors are restricted to electric only on the entire chain. There are three swimming beaches on the lake, and it is a popular spot for swimmers and paddlers during the summer. Cedar Lake is infested with Eurasian watermilfoil.
A Standard Survey was conducted in the summer of 2024 to assess the gamefish populations of Cedar Lake. During this survey, water clarity was 5.5 feet, and dissolved oxygen became too low for fish in 13 feet of water. Cedar is primarily managed for Largemouth Bass and Muskellunge; however, sampling gears targeting these species were not used in 2024. Muskellunge are stocked into Cedar on an every-other-year basis. In 2024, Cedar received a stocking of adult Black Crappie as part of an urban fishing program.
Read the full DNR narrative
Two Largemouth Bass were incidentally sampled in gill nets in 2024, and both of the fish were 15 inches long. Cedar Lake has good quality habitat for Largemouth Bass, and there is likely a healthy population of the species.
Northern Pike numbers have been good in recent years, and they tend to be medium-sized. Fish averaged 22.4 inches and 2.6 pounds, ranging in size from 13.2 to 28.3 inches. In Cedar, anglers have a shot at both fish smaller than 22 inches, of which they can harvest 10, as well as fish exceeding 26 inches, of which they can harvest two.
Bluegill abundance was high in 2024, but size of the fish tended to be small. Average size was 5.5 inches and 0.13 pounds. Thirty percent of the fish were larger than 6 inches, with the largest fish measuring 7.1 inches.
Black Crappie were sampled in low numbers compared to lakes similar to Cedar. The fish tended to be on the small side, as only 10% of the sampled fish were larger than 8 inches.
Other species sampled were Black Bullhead, Bowfin, Common Carp, Green Sunfish, hybrid sunfish, Pumpkinseed, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Cedar Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Cedar 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 Lake Fishing Pier (fishing pier)
DNR bathymetry
Cedar Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Lake of the Isles · 114 ac · 0.8 mi
- Bde Maka Ska Lake · 424 ac · 1.3 mi
- Wirth Lake · 40 ac · 1.5 mi
- Loring Lake · 7 ac · 1.9 mi
- Wolfe Park Lake · 3 ac · 2 mi
- Harriet Lake · 341 ac · 2.7 mi
- Powderhorn Lake · 11 ac · 3.4 mi
- Crystal Lake · 79 ac · 4.6 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Cedar Lake?
Cedar Lake reaches 51 ft at its deepest point; about 38% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Cedar Lake?
Cedar Lake covers 164 acres with about 3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Cedar Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Cedar Lake average 5.4 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Cedar Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, muskellunge, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, tiger muskellunge.
Is Cedar Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked muskellunge in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Cedar Lake have a public access?
Yes. Cedar Lake has one public access site: Cedar Lake Fishing Pier (fishing pier).
How big do northern pike get in Cedar Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 29"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2000.
When was Cedar Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Cedar Lake in 2024, the most recent of 10 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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