Minnesota · Morrison County
Crookneck Lake Fishing guide
Crookneck Lake covers 191 acres in Morrison County, Minnesota, reaching 22 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 12.8 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 11 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassFair numbers29.2per hr (electrofishing)15"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 112 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2023Lengths measured · 11 fish
2023Lengths measured · 101 fish
2021Lengths measured · 42 fish
2015Lengths measured · 76 fish
2009Northern pikeOne of the best around22.3per gill net22"Typical33"Biggest
Lengths measured · 99 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2023Lengths measured · 2 fish
2023Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 97 fish
2021Lengths measured · 65 fish
2009Lengths measured · 85 fish
2003BluegillGood numbers51.4per trap net5"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 898 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2023Lengths measured · 326 fish
2023Lengths measured · 572 fish
2021Lengths measured · 3353 fish
2009Lengths measured · 1745 fish
2003CrappieJust a few1.5per trap net8"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 109 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2023Lengths measured · 6 fish
2023Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 103 fish
2021Lengths measured · 18 fish
2009Lengths measured · 43 fish
2003Rock bassExcellent numbers17.6per hr (electrofishing)7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 16 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2023Lengths measured · 9 fish
2023Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 7 fish
2021Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 13 fish
2009Lengths measured · 21 fish
2003Rates 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 Crookneck Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 12.8 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. With 69% 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.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. At 12.8 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. With 69% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 22" | 18" | — |
| 2021 | 33" | 19" | 22" |
| 2015 | — | 19" | — |
| 2009 | 30" | 19" | 26" |
| 2003 | 32" | 20" | — |
| 1997 | 31" | 19" | 26" |
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.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2023 survey
A targeted survey of the nearshore fish community in Crookneck Lake was conducted by Fisheries Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff from 24-25 July 2023. Ten sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 15-foot or 50-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 10 sites with one site sampled from the boat. A 50-foot seine was used to sample seven sites, a 15-foot seine was used at one site, and soft sediments with abundant vegetation and deep water prevented the use of seines at two sampling sites. Nearshore sampling captured 14 native species of fish including three species that are intolerant of disturbance (Banded Killifish, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass) and one species (Green Sunfish) that is tolerant of disturbance.
A concurrent summer trap net survey was conducted on 24-25 July 2023 by IBI Program Staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline that encompassed multiple habitat types. One of those trap nets was excluded from analyses due to large holes allowing most fish to escape. Bluegill and Pumpkinseed comprised a majority of the trap net catch by number and Bluegill comprised a majority of the catch by biomass. The number of Bluegill sampled per net was above the 50% quartile for similar Lake Class 29 lakes and the average length was 5.2 inches, with less than 1% over 7 inches. The number of Black Crappie sampled per net was near the lower 25% quartile for Lake Class 29 lakes and the average length was 8.0 inches with none captured over 10 inches.
Read the full DNR narrative
The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from a June 2021 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Black Bullhead, Fathead Minnow, and Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. An additional survey was completed on Crookneck Lake in July 2021 resulting in a similar FIBI score. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.
Data from this survey indicates an exceptional fish community is present in Crookneck Lake and it is in good health as indicated by an FIBI score well above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Long Prairie River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Crookneck Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Crookneck 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
- Crookneck Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Crookneck Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Shamineau Lake · 1,434 ac · 0.9 mi
- Ham Lake · 42 ac · 1.7 mi
- Fish Trap Lake · 1,164 ac · 2.3 mi
- Round Lake · 104 ac · 3.6 mi
- Stanchfield Lake · 116 ac · 3.8 mi
- Alexander Lake · 2,709 ac · 4 mi
- Star Lake · 69 ac · 5.1 mi
- Placid Lake · 538 ac · 6.7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Crookneck Lake?
Crookneck Lake reaches 22 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 8.9 ft; about 69% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Crookneck Lake?
Crookneck Lake covers 191 acres with about 2.8 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Crookneck Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Crookneck Lake average 12.8 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Crookneck Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Crookneck Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Crookneck Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Crookneck Lake have a public access?
Yes. Crookneck Lake has one public access site: Crookneck Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Crookneck Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 33"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1997.
When was Crookneck Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Crookneck Lake in 2023, the most recent of 11 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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