Minnesota · Cook County
Crescent Lake Fishing guide
Crescent Lake is a 756-acre lake in Cook County, Minnesota, reaching 28 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 7.4 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 9 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeExcellent numbers6.3per gill net13"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 65 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 65 fish
2024Lengths measured · 65 fish
2014Lengths measured · 87 fish
2005Lengths measured · 120 fish
2002No recent survey rating.
Present in recent DNR surveys.
Yellow perchGood numbers5.9per gill net7"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 47 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 47 fish
2024Lengths measured · 435 fish
2014Lengths measured · 56 fish
2005Lengths measured · 6 fish
2002Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Present in recent DNR surveys.
Rates 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 Crescent Lake through the year
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.
Smallmouth bass
- Spring
- Smallmouth are on shallow rock, gravel and sand where they spawn.
- Early summer
- Smallmouth are post-spawn on rock points, gravel bars and the adjacent breaks.
- Summer
- Smallmouth are on rock humps, points and hard-bottom breaks. With 74% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Smallmouth are bunched tight on deep rock, so find one and you have found the school.
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 | Walleye | Smallmouth bass | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 26" | 13" | 14" |
| 2014 | 28" | 8" | 17" |
| 2005 | 25" | 12" | 21" |
| 2002 | 24" | 12" | — |
| 1999 | 26" | 12" | 20" |
| 1993 | 20" | — | — |
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:
Walleye · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Ned Rig
2.75" finesse stickbait or craw-style Ned bait
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)
4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic
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
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 2024 survey
Crescent Lake is a medium sized, 755-acre lake in Cook County with a maximum depth of 28 ft. There is a concrete boat access and U.S. Forest service campground located on the northwest side of the lake just off Forest Road 165. Crescent Lake is primarily managed for walleye and muskellunge. In 2024, a standard survey was conducted using gillnets and trap nets to assess the fish community and update information on current management species.
Walleye catch rates were similar to previous surveys and fell within the expected range of values for similar lakes. Walleye lengths ranged from 9.3 to 26.2 inches and averaged 13.8 inches. Otoliths collected from walleye revealed 14 naturally reproduced age classes and indicated that growth was slow, taking six years to reach 15.0 inches. A total of 50 walleye were caught during the survey and 29% were longer than 15.0 inches. Anglers looking to target eater-sized walleye should have fair success fishing on Crescent Lake.
Read the full DNR narrative
Crescent lake provides a unique opportunity to target muskellunge within Cook County. Shoepack strain muskellunge were originally stocked in the late 1970's and since have naturalized within the lake. The muskellunge catch rate was below the long-term average for the lake; however, it may still be a productive fishery since muskellunge are not sampled well in standard gillnets. Muskellunge lengths ranged from 23.4 to 31.1 inches and averaged 29.6 inches. Aging results revealed it took muskellunge about seven years to grow to 30 inches in Crescent Lake. Additionally, tiger muskellunge have been documented in the last two surveys on Crescent Lake. Natural hybridization of northern pike and muskellunge (i.e. tiger muskellunge) is a rare occurrence in the wild and thus, provides a unique fishery in Crescent Lake. Anglers looking to target muskellunge can expect to catch higher numbers of smaller fish, which is common in lakes with Shoepack strain muskellunge.
Catches of northern pike were low in Crescent Lake as only one fish was caught during the survey. Smallmouth bass catch rates were also low at 0.5 fish/net, but similar to previous surveys. Smallmouth bass size structure was poor as the largest fish sampled was only 13.7 inches.
Yellow perch catches were similar to previous surveys, and likely provide forage for both walleye and muskellunge. Yellow perch averaged 6.9 inches; however, only the largest yellow perch found would be of any interest to anglers. Additionally, no significant changes to the white sucker population were observed during the survey.
Minnesota Lakes within Cook County continue to be susceptible to aquatic invasive species introductions. Invasive species have the potential to significantly alter fish communities and overall lake health. Anglers should clean watercraft and fishing gear, drain all water, and dispose of unused bait in the trash to prevent accidental introductions to these pristine waters within this part of the state.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Crescent Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Crescent 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
- Crescent Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Crescent Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Bouder Lake · 129 ac · 1.1 mi
- Moore Lake · 62 ac · 1.5 mi
- Lichen Lake · 253 ac · 2 mi
- Slip Lake · 20 ac · 2.1 mi
- Kinogami Lake · 111 ac · 2.9 mi
- Rice Lake · 223 ac · 3.1 mi
- Tait Lake · 355 ac · 3.2 mi
- Clara Lake · 388 ac · 3.3 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Crescent Lake?
Crescent Lake reaches 28 ft at its deepest point; about 74% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Crescent Lake?
Crescent Lake covers 756 acres with about 14 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Crescent Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Crescent Lake average 7.4 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Crescent Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, muskellunge, yellow perch, tiger muskellunge.
Is Crescent Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Crescent Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Crescent Lake have a public access?
Yes. Crescent Lake has one public access site: Crescent Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Crescent Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 26"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1993.
When was Crescent Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Crescent Lake in 2024, the most recent of 9 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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