Minnesota · Wright County
Charlotte Lake Fishing guide
Charlotte Lake is a 253-acre lake in Wright County, Minnesota, reaching 46 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 15.8 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 10 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeFair numbers7.2per gill net18"Typical35"Biggest
Lengths measured · 60 fish
Recent · 2024 + 2025Lengths measured · 12 fish
2025Lengths measured · 48 fish
2024Lengths measured · 34 fish
2017Lengths measured · 28 fish
2010BluegillJust a few12.5per trap net5"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 251 fish
Recent · 2024 + 2025Lengths measured · 158 fish
2025Lengths measured · 93 fish
2024Lengths measured · 94 fish
2017Lengths measured · 188 fish
2010CrappieJust a few0.3per trap net8"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 12 fish
Recent · 2024 + 2025Lengths measured · 4 fish
2025Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 8 fish
2024Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 27 fish
2017Lengths measured · 22 fish
2010Rates 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 Charlotte Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 15.8 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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 46 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. At 15.8 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 46 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 | Bluegill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20" | — | 7" |
| 2024 | 35" | 14" | 7" |
| 2017 | 30" | 18" | 7" |
| 2010 | 28" | 18" | 7" |
| 2000 | 30" | 19" | 6" |
| 1995 | 32" | 15" | 7" |
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 · Jigs & bladed
Inline Spinner (Mepps/Blue Fox)
#2–#4 in-line spinner
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
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Bluegill · Live bait
Clip-On Bobber + Worm
half to whole garden nightcrawler
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 2025 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Charlotte Lake was conducted on June 30 - July 3, 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 and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at 10 sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample nine stations, and a 15-foot seine was used at one station. Nearshore sampling captured 14 species of fish including three species that are intolerant of disturbance (Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, and Blacknose Shiner) and one that is tolerant of disturbance (Green Sunfish).
A concurrent summer trap net survey was also conducted by LBMA Program staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline in locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Trap net sampling captured six species of fish. Bluegill and Pumpkinseed comprised a majority of the catch by number, whereas Bluegill and Yellow Bullhead comprised a majority by biomass. The trap net catch was light overall. Approximately 22 percent of the Bluegill sampled were over 7 inches, but none exceeded 8 inches.
Read the full DNR narrative
The nearshore and trap net were combined with gill net data from a July 2024 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., Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, and Blacknose Shiner), 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 web site.
Results from this survey provide evidence that the fish community in Charlotte Lake may beadversely impacted by stressors as indicated by an FIBI score near the general use impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. These results are similar to previous findings, which indicated that Charlotte Lake is fully supporting aquatic life use but vulnerable to future impairment based on scores near the impairment threshold. The survey results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the North Fork Crow River watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. You can help protect the fish community in Charlotte Lake by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Charlotte Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Charlotte 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
- Charlotte Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Charlotte Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Martha Lake · 103 ac · 0.8 mi
- Beebe Lake · 323 ac · 1.7 mi
- Washington Lake · 156 ac · 3.7 mi
- Dean Lake · 176 ac · 4.7 mi
- Rebecca Lake · 263 ac · 6 mi
- Pulaski Lake · 813 ac · 6.1 mi
- Crawford Lake · 110 ac · 6.5 mi
- Mink Lake · 94 ac · 6.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Charlotte Lake?
Charlotte Lake reaches 46 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 22.2 ft; about 37% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Charlotte Lake?
Charlotte Lake covers 253 acres with about 3.9 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Charlotte Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Charlotte Lake average 15.8 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Charlotte Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Charlotte Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Charlotte Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Charlotte Lake have a public access?
Yes. Charlotte Lake has one public access site: Charlotte Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Charlotte Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 35"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.
When was Charlotte Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Charlotte Lake in 2025, the most recent of 10 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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