Minnesota · Itasca County
Coon Lake Fishing guide
Coon Lake sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, and covers 345 acres, reaching 30 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 1 time, most recently in 1987, with northern pike, bluegill, crappie and yellow perch in the nets. That survey is 39 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Coon Lake in 1987. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Northern pike
- Bluegill
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
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.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
Bluegill
- Spring
- Bluegill are on the beds in firm-bottomed shallows, in colonies of dozens. On a clear lake those colonies sit deeper than you expect.
- Early summer
- Bluegill are off the beds and onto the weed edges and brush, the biggest ones pulling out first.
- Summer
- Bluegill are on the deep weedline of a stratified lake, sliding out as the surface starts back down.
- Fall
- Bluegill are back up onto the flats and into the last green weeds, feeding hard while the shallows still hold heat.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
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
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Bluegill · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner jighead
Crappie · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Crappie · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner jighead
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 1987 survey
the lake has an abundance of large sized bluegills that were captured mostly in gillnets. The size distribution for bluegills has increased since the 1977 population assessment. The northern pike abundance is also higher than average with good average size. The northern pike gillnet catch rate has increased significantly (200%) since the 1971 population assessment. The black crappie net catch rates are lower than previous test netting results.
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
- Public access: NONE. PRIVATE ACCESS ROADS FROM LARSON LAKE TO THE NW AND NE LANDINGS ON THE LAKE.
DNR bathymetry
Coon Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Larson Lake · 208 ac · 1.4 mi
- Bass Lake · 122 ac · 3 mi
- Wilson Lake · 92 ac · 3.4 mi
- Lost Lake · 89 ac · 3.8 mi
- Napoleon Lake · 138 ac · 4 mi
- Erskine Lake · 40 ac · 4.1 mi
- Owen Lake · 268 ac · 4.8 mi
- Anderson Lake · 295 ac · 5.7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Coon Lake?
Coon Lake reaches 30 ft at its deepest point; about 56% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Coon Lake?
Coon Lake covers 345 acres with about 3 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Coon Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1987) record 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 one public access site: Public access (NONE. PRIVATE ACCESS ROADS FROM LARSON LAKE TO THE NW AND NE LANDINGS ON THE LAKE.).
When was Coon Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Coon Lake in 1987. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
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The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Coon Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
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