Minnesota · Cass County
Crystal Lake Fishing guide
Crystal Lake sits in Cass County, Minnesota, and covers 190 acres, reaching 40 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 14.8 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 11 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassOne of the best around108per hr (electrofishing)11"Typical16"Biggest
Lengths measured · 170 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 170 fish
2025Lengths measured · 204 fish
2020Lengths measured · 239 fish
2015Lengths measured · 227 fish
2010Northern pikeGood numbers11per gill net18"Typical37"Biggest
Lengths measured · 69 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 69 fish
2025Lengths measured · 14 fish
2020Lengths measured · 4 fish
2010Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 4 fish
2005Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
BluegillJust a few13.6per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 98 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 98 fish
2025Lengths measured · 216 fish
2020Lengths measured · 391 fish
2015Lengths measured · 255 fish
2010CrappieJust a few2per trap net8"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 43 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 43 fish
2025Lengths measured · 13 fish
2020Lengths measured · 40 fish
2015Lengths measured · 88 fish
2010Yellow perchFair numbers3.8per gill net6"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 23 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 23 fish
2025Lengths measured · 72 fish
2020Lengths measured · 62 fish
2015Lengths measured · 12 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 Crystal Lake through the year
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. At 14.8 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. On a lake that drops to 40 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 14.8 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. On a lake that drops to 40 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
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 | Largemouth bass | Northern pike | Walleye |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 16" | 37" | 17" |
| 2020 | 17" | 32" | 25" |
| 2015 | 17" | — | 24" |
| 2010 | 17" | 30" | 28" |
| 2005 | 19" | 41" | 26" |
| 2000 | 18" | 38" | 28" |
| 1995 | 15" | 31" | 23" |
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:
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Jigs & bladed
Swim Jig + Paddletail Trailer
3.5–4.5" paddletail trailer on a bullet-nosed swim jig
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
Walleye · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Trolling
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | 873 fingerlings · 147 yearlings |
| 2022 | Walleye | 3,277 fingerlings |
| 2020 | Walleye | 2,495 fingerlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 5,066 fingerlings |
| 2016 | Walleye | 3,300 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Crystal Lake (DOW #11-0502-00) is located five miles southeast of Akeley on the border of Hubbard and Cass Counties. Crystal Lake has a surface area of 190 acres and a maximum depth of 40 feet. There is a state-owned public access located on the southeast shore of the lake off Hiram Twp 5 Road. Crystal Lake has excellent water quality, and the southeast shore is undeveloped and in state ownership. Crystal Lake provides fishing opportunities for Walleye, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, and panfish.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. Crystal Lake is in Lake Class 35. Lake Class 35 lakes generally have a very high percentage of littoral area (depths less than 15 feet), with very irregular shaped shoreline. Other Lake Class 35 lakes in the Park Raids management area include: Frontenac, Middle Crooked, Pickerel, and Waboose.
Read the full DNR narrative
Walleye were sampled in low numbers for this Lake Class and lower than previous surveys. Anglers will find most Walleye in the 14-to-18-inch size range. Sampled Walleye had an average length and weight of 15.4 inches and 1.2 pounds. Yellow perch, an important forage for Walleye were sampled in low numbers for this Lake Class. Sampled Yellow Perch had an average length of 7.1 inches with fish measured up to 10.3 inches in the sample.
Anglers will find an abundant Largemouth Bass population in Crystal Lake, dominated by smaller bass in the 10-to-14-inch size range. The number of larger bass (>15 inches) sampled in past surveys has been low when compared to other area lakes.
Present and past surveys have shown the panfish population in Crystal Lake to fluctuate from moderate to abundant numbers. Two thirds of the sunfish sampled were in the 6-to-8-inch size range along with two thirds of the Black Crappie sampled in the 8-to-10-inch size range.
Northern Pike numbers were up compared to past surveys. Sampled Northern Pike ranged in length from 12.8 to 37.6 inches.
Currently no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Crystal Lake. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Crystal Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Crystal 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
- Crystal Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Crystal Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Island Lake · 78 ac · 2.6 mi
- Little Bass Lake · 114 ac · 3.2 mi
- Variety Lake · 160 ac · 3.4 mi
- Howard Lake · 386 ac · 3.9 mi
- Ten Mile Lake · 5,080 ac · 4.5 mi
- Shingobee Lake · 172 ac · 4.7 mi
- Bass Lake · 278 ac · 4.7 mi
- Birch Lake · 1,267 ac · 5.1 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Crystal Lake?
Crystal Lake reaches 40 ft at its deepest point; about 86% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Crystal Lake?
Crystal Lake covers 190 acres with about 3.5 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Crystal Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Crystal Lake average 14.8 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Crystal Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Crystal Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Crystal Lake have a public access?
Yes. Crystal Lake has one public access site: Crystal Lake (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Crystal Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 16"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.
When was Crystal Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Crystal Lake in 2025, the most recent of 11 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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