Chippewa Lake Fishing guide

DNR survey data

Fish species

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.

Size history

Biggest fish by survey year

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

8–35 ftslow

Shop octopus hooks →

Walleye · Trolling

Leadcore Line + Crankbaits

4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run

15–45 fttrolling

Shop deep-diving crankbaits →

Largemouth bass · Soft plastics

Texas-Rigged Worm

7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm

1–25 ftdead slow

Shop plastic worms →

Largemouth bass · Soft plastics

Wacky-Rigged Stickworm

5" stickworm

1–12 ftdead slowweedless

Shop stickworms →

Northern pike · Soft plastics

Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead

4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead

3–25 ftmoderate

Shop paddletail swimbaits →

Northern pike · Muskie & pike

Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)

10" soft rubber body bait

3–25 ftslow

Shop musky rubber →

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

MN DNR · in their words

From the 2025 survey

Chippewa Lake (also commonly referred to as Big Chippewa Lake) is a 1,185 acre moderately productive basin located northeast of Brandon in Douglas County. This lake is relatively deep with a maximum depth of 95 feet. Mean depth is estimated at 24 feet. Chippewa Lake is located within the Chippewa River watershed and outflows into Devils Lake under Douglas County Road 7. Water quality conditions are excellent and exceed averages of similar Minnesota lakes. Water clarity typically exceeds 10 feet throughout summer months and has increased in recent years following zebra mussel infestation. This lake becomes thermally stratified in summer months and the thermocline is typically located between 20 and 25 feet. Chippewa Lake contains diverse aquatic habitats (islands, shallow rock bars, protected bays, and large expanses of emergent aquatic vegetation) and offers diverse fishing opportunities. Residential development surrounding the lake is considered moderate and is concentrated on the southern half of the basin along the east and west shorelines. Due to the desirable characteristics of the lake, recreational use can be heavy, particularly on weekends and holidays. A small public access with limited parking is located in the northeast corner of the lake. Boaters should be aware of multiple navigation hazards within this basin. These shallow rock areas are marked with hazard buoys. Boaters should also note that access to the series of shallow bays in the southwest corner of the lake can be difficult for larger boats, especially during periods of low water levels. These bays are connected to each other and the main basin via narrow, relatively shallow channels through stands of emergent vegetation.

A standard MN DNR lake survey was completed in 2025 to assess the fish community of Chippewa Lake. Walleye abundance remained relatively high due to moderate or strong year classes produced in 2020, 2021, and 2022. These three year classes comprised 68% of the sample. Average size was 16.1 inches and 1.6 pounds. The largest Walleye collected was 24.8 inches. This population is sustained through natural reproduction, but supplemental fry stockings now occur every third year. The Northern Pike population could be described as moderate in terms of both abundance and size structure. Like many lakes in west-central Minnesota, small "hammerhandle" pike tend to dominate this population but larger pike are present. Mean size was 21.7 inches and 2.4 pounds. Multiple pike exceeding 30 inches were sampled, with the largest measuring almost 34 inches. New Northern Pike zone regulations were implemented in 2018 to help improve pike size structure. See https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fish/northern/zones.html for more information on pike zone regulations. Very few Yellow Perch were captured. Gill net catches of harvestable-size perch substantially declined in the early 2000s and have remained low. Quality panfishing opportunities are available for anglers targeting Bluegill or Black Crappie. Harvestable-size Bluegill, some exceeding 9.0 inches, are available. However, Bluegill abundance has substantially increased in recent years and the current population is dominated by younger, smaller fish. Mean lengths of the trap net and gill net samples were just 4.8 and 5.4 inches, respectively. Harvestable-size Black Crappie are also available. This species can be difficult to sample during summer months and too few crappie were sampled in 2025 to accurately describe this population. Largemouth Bass are abundant. Size structure of this population peaked in the mid- to late-2000s. Larger bass, some exceeding 18.0 inches in length, are still present but smaller fish comprise much of this population. Average length of bass sampled during spring electrofishing efforts was 11.9 inches.

Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.

Public water access

Getting on the water

• Chippewa Lake (trailer launch)

DNR bathymetry

Chippewa Lake depth map

Within 30 miles

Nearby lakes

• Devils Lake · 234 ac · 2 mi
• Whiskey Lake · 160 ac · 2.6 mi
• Little Chippewa Lake · 271 ac · 2.8 mi
• Indian Lake · 99 ac · 3.3 mi
• Moon Lake · 139 ac · 4.1 mi
• Stowe Lake · 377 ac · 4.6 mi
• Lake Moses · 824 ac · 5.2 mi
• Lake Ida · 4,445 ac · 5.4 mi

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

How deep is Chippewa Lake?

Chippewa Lake reaches 95 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 24 ft; about 46% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).

How big is Chippewa Lake?

Chippewa Lake covers 1,186 acres with about 14.2 miles of shoreline.

How clear is the water in Chippewa Lake?

DNR Secchi readings on Chippewa Lake average 11.4 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.

What fish are in Chippewa Lake?

Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.

Is Chippewa Lake stocked?

Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.

Does Chippewa Lake have a public access?

Yes. Chippewa Lake has one public access site: Chippewa Lake (trailer launch).

How big do walleye get in Chippewa 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 2001.

When was Chippewa Lake last surveyed?

The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Chippewa Lake in 2025, the most recent of 14 surveys on record.