Minnesota · Chisago County

Chisago Lake Fishing guide

Chisago Lake covers 944 acres in Chisago County, Minnesota, reaching 34 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 4.3 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 12 times, most recently in 2022, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.

Open the live map → Survey data

Depth to 34 ft · top 5 summer marks

Surface944 ac

Max depth34 ft

Clarity4.3 ft

Littoral74%

Surveyed2022

How to fish Chisago Lake through the year

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. With 74% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
Fall: Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.

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 74% 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.

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	Largemouth bass	Walleye	Northern pike
2022	18"	25"	33"
2018	17"	27"	38"
2014	17"	25"	34"
2010	18"	27"	37"
2005	18"	26"	35"
2000	19"	28"	34"
1995	16"	27"	37"

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:

Largemouth bass · Hardbaits

Topwater Popper

2.5–3" concave-face popper

0–8 ftdead slow

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Largemouth bass · Hardbaits

Hollow-Body Frog

3–3.5" hollow-body frog

0–6 ftslow

Shop hollow-body frogs →

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

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Northern pike · Soft plastics

Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead

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

3–25 ftmoderate

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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

Year	Species	Stocked
2024	Walleye	11,900 fingerlings
2022	Walleye	14,595 fingerlings
2020	Walleye	14,135 fingerlings
2018	Walleye	10,620 fingerlings
2016	Walleye	700,000 fry

MN DNR · in their words

From the 2022 survey

Chisago Lake is a moderately fertile 944 acre lake located in southern Chisago County bordering Chisago City. The lake is broadly connected to South Lindstrom Lake by a natural channel. Either lake can be accessed by a concrete public boat ramp located in the channel between lakes. The two lakes are somewhat physically different with South Lindstrom having a smaller percentage of littoral (water less than 15 feet deep) acreage (42%) than Chisago (80%). The channel allows fish to migrate freely between the two lakes. Currently, the primary management species are Walleye and Largemouth Bass. The Walleye population is maintained by stocking fingerlings in even numbered years. There is currently a special regulation on Largemouth Bass limiting harvest to fish less than 12 inches in length. A survey consisting of 6 gill net and 9 trap net sets was conducted in July 2022 to assess fish populations. The previous survey was conducted in 2018.

Walleye were sampled by gill nets at a rate of 2.1 fish per net compared to 5.4 fish per net in 2018. This is a decline in the catch rate for this lake. Average weight was at 2.1 lbs. Fish ranged from 10.8 to 25.8 inches in length with an average of 17.8 inches. Eighty one percent of the catch was over 15.0 inches during the 2022 survey on Chisago Lake.

Read the full DNR narrative

The Northern Pike gill net catch of 2.1 fish per net was low for this lake, but relative to previous surveys. Average weight of pike was 4.2 lbs. Lengths ranged from 18.0 to 33.5 inches and averaged 26.3 inches. Several fish over 30 inches in length were sampled. Fifty percent of the pike caught were over 26 inches. Angler can expect to catch good numbers of hefty pike throughout the lake.

Trap nets sampled Bluegill at a rate of 45.7 fish per net compared to 37.5 fish per net in 2018, which is a good catch rate for lakes of this type in the area. Average size was moderate for Bluegill at 0.24 lbs. Bluegills averaged 6.7 inches and all lengths were between 0.7 to 8.3 inches.

Black Crappie were sampled at a rate of 16.8 fish per gill net which is above average for lakes of this type. Average weight was at 0.2 lbs. Fish length ranged from 4.6 to 9.7 inches and averaged 7.0 inches. Thirty-five percent of the gill net catch for crappies was over 8.0 inches.

Yellow Perch numbers are up from the 2018 survey of 1.9 per net to 7.1 per net in 2022, which is average when compared to similar lakes. Size was small with a mean weight of 0.13 lbs. Fish length ranged from 5.5 to 8.6 inches and averaged 6.5 inches.

Nighttime electrofishing for Largemouth Bass was conducted in early June. There is currently a special regulation on Largemouth Bass limiting harvest to fish less than 12.0 inches in length. The current catch rate of 75 fish per hour is an average catch rate for these types of lakes. Largemouth Bass averaged 12.8 inches compared to 12.9 inches in 2018. The largest fish was 18.5 inches. Chisago Lake provides a good opportunity for anglers to catch good numbers of moderate sized bass. Forty-five percent of the bass caught were over 12 inches.

Quality fishing opportunities exist for most species in Chisago Lake. At times fishing pressure on Chisago Lake can be high and anglers are encouraged to practice selective harvest to help maintain and improve the quality of Chisago Lake's fishery. Selective harvest encourages the release of larger fish while allowing the harvest of more abundant smaller fish.

Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.

Recent reports

Chisago Lake fishing reports

Recent reports on Chisago 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.

Open the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report

Chisago County reports

Public water access

Getting on the water

DNR access: Large parking area.
DNR access: A new (1994) state-owned access is located off of Stinson Ave. in the channel area of the SW end of South Lindstrom Lake. Parking for 70.
City access: A winter drive-on access off of Lake Ave. located in the NW end of Chisago Lake. Street parking not available during open-water season.
Public access (permit required): Rose Hill Resort. Fee for boat launch and/or rental available. Located on the N. end of S. Lindstrom Lake.
City access: Paradise City Park. Playground and public beach with life guard on duty. Located on the N. end of Chisago Lake off of Stinson Ave.

DNR bathymetry

Chisago Lake depth map

Chisago Lake depth contour map, Chisago County, Minnesota — Depth contours to 34 ft from Minnesota DNR bathymetry, free to save or print. The live map adds ranked spots and conditions on the same contours.

Within 30 miles

Nearby lakes

Kroon Lake · 193 ac · 1.2 mi
South Lindstrom Lake · 455 ac · 1.9 mi
Green Lake · 1,810 ac · 2.5 mi
South Center Lake · 910 ac · 2.9 mi
North Lindstrom Lake · 142 ac · 2.9 mi
Spider Lake · 131 ac · 3.1 mi
Moody Lake · 45 ac · 3.9 mi
North Center Lake · 749 ac · 4.1 mi

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

How deep is Chisago Lake?

Chisago Lake reaches 34 ft at its deepest point; about 74% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).

How big is Chisago Lake?

Chisago Lake covers 944 acres with about 13.2 miles of shoreline.

How clear is the water in Chisago Lake?

DNR Secchi readings on Chisago Lake average 4.3 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.

What fish are in Chisago Lake?

Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2022) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.

Is Chisago Lake stocked?

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

Does Chisago Lake have a public access?

Yes. Chisago Lake has 5 public access sites, including a DNR access (Large parking area.).

How big do largemouth bass get in Chisago Lake?

The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 18"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.

When was Chisago Lake last surveyed?

The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Chisago Lake in 2022, the most recent of 12 surveys on record.

Page updated September 22, 2026.

The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Chisago Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:

Open Chisago Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report