Minnesota · Crow Wing County
Clark Lake Fishing guide
Clark Lake is a 305-acre lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, reaching 31 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 14.8 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 6 times, most recently in 2021, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeFair numbers9.3per gill net15"Typical31"Biggest
Lengths measured · 66 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 66 fish
2021Lengths measured · 74 fish
2014Lengths measured · 63 fish
1999BluegillGood numbers51.6per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 498 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 498 fish
2021Lengths measured · 374 fish
2014Lengths measured · 322 fish
1999CrappieJust a few6per trap net9"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 72 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 72 fish
2021Lengths measured · 31 fish
2014Lengths measured · 34 fish
1999Rates 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 Clark Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 14.8 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. With 86% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 14.8 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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 86% 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 | Northern pike | Walleye | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 31" | 22" | 15" |
| 2014 | 30" | 24" | 10" |
| 1999 | 27" | 13" | 9" |
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 · Hardbaits
Weedless Spoon + Trailer (Silver Minnow)
3/8–1/2 oz weedless spoon
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Walleye · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Trolling
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Jigs & bladed
Swim Jig + Paddletail Trailer
3.5–4.5" paddletail trailer on a bullet-nosed swim jig
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 | Walleye | 264,000 fry · 2,700 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 2,400 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2021 survey
Clark Lake is a 343 acre lake located in west-central Crow Wing County with a maximum depth of 31'. Due to the fertility of the lake, periodic partial winterkills have been known to occur in the past. There are no recent winterkills on record. Walleye have been stocked in the past as fry after winterkill events and the lake association has been allowed to stock fingerlings up to every other year. Fingerling stocking last occurred in October of 2021. Only one Walleye measuring 22.1" was caught in this survey. The catch rate has never been higher than 1.0/gill net.
The lake is primarily managed for Northern Pike and panfish species. The Northern Pike catch rate of 9.3/gill net was average for this type of lake. Average length was only 17.4" and 84% of the fish were under 22". Anglers are allowed to keep 10 fish of this size.
Read the full DNR narrative
Panfish size looked a little bit better. Bluegill were caught in above average numbers (51.6/trap net). They had an average length of 6.7" and 37% of the fish were 7" or larger. Black Crappie numbers were also above average (6.0/trap net) and 77% of the fish were 8" or larger.
Although not sampled well with gill nets and trap nets, Largemouth Bass are also available for anglers. The fish that were caught ranged from 7.8" to 15.2".
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Clark Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Clark 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
- Clark Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Clark Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Nisswa Lake · 219 ac · 1.5 mi
- Hubert Lake · 1,301 ac · 1.8 mi
- Lower Cullen Lake · 560 ac · 2.2 mi
- Roy Lake · 320 ac · 2.7 mi
- Edna Lake · 156 ac · 2.7 mi
- Little Hubert Lake · 194 ac · 2.7 mi
- Gladstone Lake · 437 ac · 2.8 mi
- Middle Cullen Lake · 405 ac · 2.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Clark Lake?
Clark Lake reaches 31 ft at its deepest point; about 86% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Clark Lake?
Clark Lake covers 305 acres with about 5 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Clark Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Clark Lake average 14.8 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Clark Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2021) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Clark Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2021.
Does Clark Lake have a public access?
Yes. Clark Lake has one public access site: Clark Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Clark Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 31"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1999.
When was Clark Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Clark Lake in 2021, the most recent of 6 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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