Minnesota · Carlton County
Chub Lake Fishing guide
Chub Lake is a 313-acre lake in Carlton County, Minnesota, reaching 28 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 8.4 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 7 times, most recently in 2020, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets. That survey is 6 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2024Fair numbers1.2per gill net21"Typical25"Biggest
Lengths measured · 14 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2020Lengths measured · 4 fish
2020Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 10 fish
2014Lengths measured · 60 fish
2009Lengths measured · 22 fish
2004Largemouth bassElite fishery149per hr (electrofishing)13"Typical17"Biggest
Lengths measured · 220 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2020Lengths measured · 12 fish
2020Lengths measured · 208 fish
2014Lengths measured · 144 fish
2009Lengths measured · 131 fish
2004No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeGood numbers13.1per gill net18"Typical31"Biggest
Lengths measured · 172 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2020Lengths measured · 101 fish
2020Lengths measured · 71 fish
2014Lengths measured · 102 fish
2009Lengths measured · 46 fish
2004BluegillJust a few8.4per trap net4"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 180 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2020Lengths measured · 97 fish
2020Lengths measured · 83 fish
2014Lengths measured · 96 fish
2009Lengths measured · 92 fish
2004CrappieJust a few8.7per trap net6"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 249 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2020Lengths measured · 71 fish
2020Lengths measured · 178 fish
2014Lengths measured · 91 fish
2009Lengths measured · 11 fish
2004Yellow perchJust a few0.6per gill net6"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 11 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2020Lengths measured · 7 fish
2020Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 4 fish
2014Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 69 fish
2009Lengths measured · 44 fish
2004Rock bassExcellent numbers3.4per gill net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 66 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2020Lengths measured · 28 fish
2020Lengths measured · 38 fish
2014Lengths measured · 37 fish
2009Lengths measured · 18 fish
2004Rates 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 Chub 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.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
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.
- 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 | Largemouth bass | Northern pike | Walleye |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 14" | 31" | 25" |
| 2014 | 17" | 28" | 25" |
| 2009 | 18" | 35" | 22" |
| 2004 | 19" | 29" | 26" |
| 1999 | 20" | 29" | 27" |
| 1994 | 19" | 27" | 26" |
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 · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
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
Walleye · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
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 | 3,042 yearlings |
| 2022 | Walleye | 3,889 fingerlings |
| 2020 | Walleye | 2,549 fingerlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 3,549 fingerlings |
| 2016 | Walleye | 6,730 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2020 survey
Chub Lake is a 313-acre lake located near Carlton, Minnesota with 54% (169 acres) littoral area and a maximum depth of 28 feet. A county owned, concrete back-in access is located on the north end of the lake, near Chub Lake Park. Walleye and Largemouth Bass are the primary management species and Black Crappie is the secondary management species. Chub was last surveyed in 2014. Chub Lake was assessed during the summer of 2020 to update information about fish populations and to evaluate the success of the Walleye stocking program.
Walleye fingerlings have been stocked into Chub Lake during even years since 1992. Walleye abundance of 0.7 per gillnet lift was down from 2014 (1.7) but still considered average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Walleye average length was large at 21.5 inches. One-hundred percent of the Walleyes aged corresponded to stocked year-classes suggesting limited, if any natural reproduction.
Read the full DNR narrative
Spring Largemouth Bass sampling was suspended during the spring of 2020 due to the pandemic. Previous spring Largemouth Bass electrofishing assessments have shown a robust bass population in Chub Lake.
Black Crappie abundance of 4.6 per trapnet lift was down from 2014 (12.9) but was still above average when compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Black Crappie average length was 5.7 inches and growth was slow compared to other Duluth Area lakes. All year-classes from 2010 to 2019 were represented indicating consistent reproduction.
Northern Pike were abundant but trend small with an average length of 20.2 inches.
Bluegill abundance was average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Average length was 4.3 inches. Yellow Perch were scarce and small.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Chub Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Chub 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
- Chub Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Chub Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Hay Lake · 140 ac · 1.5 mi
- Thomson Reservoir · 390 ac · 4.3 mi
- Forbay Lake · 35 ac · 5.4 mi
- Blackhoof Lake · 41 ac · 6.5 mi
- Scanlon Reservoir · 71 ac · 6.6 mi
- Hizer Lake · 34 ac · 7.1 mi
- Fond du Lac Reservoir · 201 ac · 7.4 mi
- Sand Lake · 128 ac · 7.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Chub Lake?
Chub Lake reaches 28 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 15 ft; about 54% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Chub Lake?
Chub Lake covers 313 acres with about 4.8 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Chub Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Chub Lake average 8.4 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Chub Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2020) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Chub Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Chub Lake have a public access?
Yes. Chub Lake has one public access site: Chub Lake (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Chub Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 17"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1994.
When was Chub Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Chub Lake in 2020, the most recent of 7 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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