Minnesota · Anoka County
Coon Lake Fishing guide
Coon Lake sits in Anoka County, Minnesota, and covers 1,481 acres, reaching 27 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 7.9 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 17 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeFair numbers3.2per gill net19"Typical22"Biggest
Lengths measured · 32 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 32 fish
2025Lengths measured · 4 fish
2019Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 20 fish
2017Lengths measured · 9 fish
2015Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeOne of the best around26.5per gill net19"Typical30"Biggest
Lengths measured · 277 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 277 fish
2025Lengths measured · 66 fish
2019Lengths measured · 63 fish
2017Lengths measured · 109 fish
2015BluegillFair numbers47.5per trap net6"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 627 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 627 fish
2025Lengths measured · 1141 fish
2019Lengths measured · 41 fish
2017Lengths measured · 477 fish
2015CrappieJust a few1.8per trap net7"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 53 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 53 fish
2025Lengths measured · 58 fish
2019Lengths measured · 34 fish
2017Lengths measured · 24 fish
2015Rates 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 Coon Lake through the year
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. With 74% 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.
- 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 | Northern pike | Walleye | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 30" | 22" | — |
| 2019 | 35" | 22" | 18" |
| 2017 | 31" | 22" | 14" |
| 2015 | 32" | 23" | 16" |
| 2013 | 33" | 21" | 10" |
| 2009 | 32" | 22" | — |
| 2007 | — | 8" | 19" |
| 2005 | 32" | 19" | 19" |
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
Walleye · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
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
Full setups, including hooks, weights and line, are on the live map. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Coon Lake is a 1,250 acre lake located in northern Anoka County and assigned to lake class 35. There are two major basins with the eastern one being the deeper but smaller of the two. This lake was historically susceptible to winterkills but there are currently two aeration systems in place which appear to be preventing severe winterkill. The primary management species are Walleye and Northern Pike. A mix of Walleye fingerlings, yearlings, and adults are stocked annually (approximately 550 pounds). In 2009 a 17 inch minimum length limit for Walleyes was implemented with the goal of protecting smaller fish from harvest. Coon was sampled with gill nets and trap nets in June 2025 primarily to assess the Walleye population and provide species information for an Index of Biological Integrity survey. The previous survey was conducted in 2019.
Walleye were sampled by gill nets at a rate of 3.2 fish per net. Fish size was large for the lake class but typical for the lake with a mean length of 18.8 inches (lengths ranged from 12.8 to 22.9 inches). Walleye ages were well distributed from 2 to 12 years old.
Read the full DNR narrative
Northern Pike were sampled at a remarkable rate of 26.5 fish per gill net, more than double the previous survey's catch rate. Fish size remained typical relative to both the lake and the lake class with a mean length of 20.7 inches. Fish length topped out at just over 30 inches.
Yellow Perch were sampled at a negligible rate of 0.3 fish per net. Mean length of those few fish sampled was 5.7 inches.
Although summer trap nets were used to sample both Bluegill and Black Crappie for an Index of Biotic Integrity survey, spring trap netting would provide better population metrics for assessing Coon's panfish populations. It might however interest anglers to note that Black Crappie mean length was 8.4 inches and fish up to 11.5 inches were sampled. Other species sampled were Black Bullhead, Common Carp, Golden Shiner, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, and Yellow Bullhead.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Coon Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Coon 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
- Coon Lake, Co Rd 17 (trailer launch)
- Coon Lake, Co Rd 22 (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Coon Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Linwood Lake · 572 ac · 4 mi
- Ham Lake · 155 ac · 4.5 mi
- Martin Lake · 232 ac · 6.6 mi
- Fish Lake · 334 ac · 6.6 mi
- Typo Lake · 298 ac · 8.3 mi
- Clear Lake · 429 ac · 8.8 mi
- George Lake · 489 ac · 9 mi
- Loch Ness Lake · 10 ac · 9.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Coon Lake?
Coon Lake reaches 27 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 10 ft; about 74% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Coon Lake?
Coon Lake covers 1,481 acres with about 16.3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Coon Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Coon Lake average 7.9 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Coon Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Coon Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Coon Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Coon Lake have a public access?
Yes. Coon Lake has 2 public access sites, including Coon Lake, Co Rd 17 (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Coon Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 30"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2005.
When was Coon Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Coon Lake in 2025, the most recent of 17 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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