Minnesota · Todd County
Coal Lake Fishing guide
Coal Lake is a 171-acre lake in Todd County, Minnesota, reaching 25 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 11.5 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 9 times, most recently in 2022, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassFair numbers25.3per hr (electrofishing)11"Typical22"Biggest
Lengths measured · 68 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 68 fish
2022Lengths measured · 71 fish
2017Lengths measured · 73 fish
2011Lengths measured · 35 fish
2005Northern pikeGood numbers10per gill net19"Typical28"Biggest
Lengths measured · 63 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 63 fish
2022Lengths measured · 34 fish
2017Lengths measured · 46 fish
2011Lengths measured · 31 fish
2005BluegillJust a few16.6per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 202 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 202 fish
2022Lengths measured · 294 fish
2017Lengths measured · 669 fish
2011Lengths measured · 593 fish
2005CrappieJust a few0.7per trap net7"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 21 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 21 fish
2022Lengths measured · 69 fish
2017Lengths measured · 25 fish
2011Lengths measured · 16 fish
2005Rates 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 Coal Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 11.5 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.
- 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 11.5 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.
- 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 | Walleye |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 28" | 22" | 24" |
| 2017 | 33" | 15" | 27" |
| 2011 | 30" | 15" | 26" |
| 2005 | 36" | 12" | 25" |
| 1999 | 39" | 17" | 28" |
| 1993 | 26" | 6" | 24" |
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 · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Walleye | 840 fingerlings · 6 adults |
| 2019 | Walleye | 3,066 fingerlings |
| 2017 | Walleye | 55 adults |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2022 survey
Coal Lake received a standard survey using gill nets, trap nets and electrofishing during May and June, 2022. Sampling gear targeted Walleye, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Bluegill, Black Crappie and Largemouth Bass. As an overview, Coal Lake has a Walleye population characterized as low-density, Northern Pike are moderately abundant and small in average size, medium to large Yellow Perch are scarce, Bluegill and Black Crappie are modest in size and abundance, and Largemouth Bass numbers are average with a few large fish present.
Gill nets caught a total of 60 pike, 15 crappies, two Walleyes and one perch. The average size Northern Pike was 20.4 inches, most fish caught were less than 20 inches and maximum length was a 28.5 inch fish. From a management perspective, we'd like to see pike abundance stay low. It bumped up in 2022 but the long-term average is still reasonable. Future monitoring will continue to observe population trends.
Read the full DNR narrative
Walleye fingerlings are stocked on an every-other-year basis however, the desired abundance level has not been recently attained. At this time, there are a few larger Walleyes in the lake but for the most part, angling pursuits would be better directed toward panfish and bass.
Yellow Perch are scarce because Northern Pike keep them cropped down. It's possible that perch are more abundant than our gill nets indicate since they have to be about 4-5 inches long before they're vulnerable to capture. Other lakes with apparent low perch abundance have been sampled with special small-mesh gill nets and found to be very abundant but measuring three inches or less.
Crappies over 12 inches can be found in Coal but they're rare. For the most part, lengths average anywhere from 5-10 inches. Bluegills, while higher in abundance, run on bit on the small side, averaging about six inches. We have however measured Bluegills over nine inches. Electrofishing caught a total of 54 Largemouth Bass. Average size was 12.3 inches however a few trophy fish are present.
Coal Lake continues to offer users a relatively peaceful fishing or boating experience. The lake is only moderately developed and there are plenty of natural features along the shoreline to enjoy. Water clarity is about 10 feet but has a dark stain to it caused by decaying vegetation and tannic acid in the watershed. This is not harmful in any way and in fact, is indicative of an adjacent landscape rich in wetlands and forested cover.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Coal Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Coal 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
- Coal Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Coal Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Thunder Lake · 214 ac · 2.7 mi
- Mill Lake · 171 ac · 3 mi
- Pine Island Lake · 238 ac · 3.1 mi
- Horseshoe Lake · 121 ac · 4.4 mi
- Beauty Lake · 240 ac · 5.5 mi
- Big Lake · 297 ac · 5.5 mi
- Turtle Lake · 112 ac · 7.8 mi
- Star Lake · 69 ac · 8.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Coal Lake?
Coal Lake reaches 25 ft at its deepest point; about 42% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Coal Lake?
Coal Lake covers 171 acres with about 2.7 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Coal Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Coal Lake average 11.5 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Coal Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2022) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Coal Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2021; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Coal Lake have a public access?
Yes. Coal Lake has one public access site: Coal Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Coal Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 28"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1993.
When was Coal Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Coal Lake in 2022, the most recent of 9 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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