Minnesota · Lake County
Crooked Lake Fishing guide
Crooked Lake sits in Lake County, Minnesota, and covers 272 acres, reaching 18 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 9.9 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 17 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike and muskellunge in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2023One of the best around13.7per gill net17"Typical24"Biggest
Lengths measured · 92 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 92 fish
2024Lengths measured · 47 fish
2019Lengths measured · 110 fish
2014Lengths measured · 95 fish
2010Smallmouth bassPresent1.2per gill net5"Typical17"Biggest
Lengths measured · 45 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 45 fish
2024Lengths measured · 163 fish
2019Lengths measured · 109 fish
2014Lengths measured · 77 fish
2010Northern pikeFair numbers7per gill net23"Typical37"Biggest
Lengths measured · 44 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 44 fish
2024Lengths measured · 37 fish
2019Lengths measured · 11 fish
2014Lengths measured · 23 fish
2010Last recorded in the 2014 survey and not seen since.
Yellow perchGood numbers12.5per gill net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 78 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 78 fish
2024Lengths measured · 52 fish
2019Lengths measured · 53 fish
2014Lengths measured · 188 fish
2010Rates 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 Crooked 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 95% 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. A 18-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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 95% 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. A 18-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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 | Northern pike | Smallmouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 24" | 37" | 17" |
| 2019 | 24" | 34" | 18" |
| 2014 | 24" | 31" | 18" |
| 2010 | 25" | 27" | 16" |
| 2006 | 24" | 37" | 17" |
| 2002 | 21" | 34" | 17" |
| 1997 | 20" | — | 13" |
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
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
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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Walleye | 3,455 fingerlings |
| 2022 | Walleye | 6,562 fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 4,632 fingerlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 4,825 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
Crooked Lake is located about twenty miles northeast of Finland and within the Superior National Forest. The public access is off Forest Service 358 (Hoist Lake Road) and consists of a concrete log ramp with parking for a few vehicle and trailer rigs. The Walleye population is actively managed with the current plan to stock fingerlings in two consecutive years followed by two non-stocked years. A standard fisheries survey was completed in August 2024 to monitor the fish community and evaluate stocking efforts.
The Walleye catch rate of 13.67 per gill net was above the normal range for similar lakes and significantly higher than the last survey, but consistent with historic surveys of Crooked Lake that have regularly had high catches. Walleye ranged from 7 to 24 inches long with a high proportion of keeper sized fish. Age analysis determined 66% of the catch was from stocked year classes, although each of the non-stocked year classes from the past decade were also present. Historic survey data has shown that natural reproduction occurs annually, and likely occurs in stocked years, making it difficult to evaluate the contributions of stocking to the Walleye population.
Read the full DNR narrative
The Smallmouth Bass catch rate of 1.17 per gill net was within the normal range for similar lakes but lower than the catch from any of the previous six surveys of Crooked Lake. The trap net catch of 4.22 per net was higher than normal for this lake, and for similar lakes in the area, but the size structure of the catch was small. The combined catch from gill nets and trap nets averaged just 8.1 inches long and included few bass longer than 12 inches. Analysis of scale samples determined successful natural reproduction has occurred in each of the previous four years indicating adequate spawning stock is still present. Survey results suggest opportunities for quality sized Smallmouth Bass may be limited currently, but the population should continue to be maintained by natural reproduction.
The Northern Pike catch rate of 7.0 per gill net was the highest of any survey of the lake to date and was slightly above the normal range for similar lakes. The population had a good size distribution with an average size of about 24 inches long and over two and a half pounds with pike as large as 37 inches long sampled.
No Muskellunge were sampled for the second consecutive survey. Historic survey data has documented limited natural reproduction likely due to lack of adequate spawning habitat.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Crooked Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Crooked 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
- US Forest Service access: On northwest side of main lake basin, off of USFS Road #358. Small parking area for 4 vehicles. No dock at access. (1993 description)
DNR bathymetry
Crooked Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Goldeneye Lake · 10 ac · 1 mi
- Hare Lake · 48 ac · 1.3 mi
- Thunderbird Lake · 97 ac · 1.3 mi
- Red Dot Lake · 5 ac · 1.5 mi
- Echo Lake · 42 ac · 1.5 mi
- Ninemile Lake · 297 ac · 1.9 mi
- Shoepack Lake · 49 ac · 2.1 mi
- East Lake · 82 ac · 2.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Crooked Lake?
Crooked Lake reaches 18 ft at its deepest point; about 95% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Crooked Lake?
Crooked Lake covers 272 acres with about 6 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Crooked Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Crooked Lake average 9.9 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Crooked Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, muskellunge, yellow perch.
Is Crooked Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2023; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2018.
Does Crooked Lake have a public access?
Yes. Crooked Lake has one public access site: US Forest Service access (On northwest side of main lake basin, off of USFS Road #358. Small parking area for 4 vehicles. No dock at access. (1993 description)).
How big do walleye get in Crooked Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 24"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1997.
When was Crooked Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Crooked Lake in 2024, the most recent of 17 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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