Minnesota · Itasca County
Decker Lake Fishing guide
Decker Lake sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, and covers 325 acres, reaching 12 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 2 times, most recently in 1985, with walleye, northern pike and yellow perch in the nets. That survey is 41 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Decker Lake in 1985. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Walleye
- Northern pike
- Yellow perch
How to fish Decker 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 100% 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 12-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 100% 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 12-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.
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 · 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
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Yellow perch · Live bait
Slip Bobber + Leech
jumbo or large leech
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 1985 survey
lake has good populations of northern pike, bull- heads, pumpkinseeds and yellow perch.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Decker Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Decker 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
- Decker Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Decker Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Rabideau Lake · 680 ac · 5.5 mi
- Webster Lake · 47 ac · 5.6 mi
- Dixon Lake · 622 ac · 5.8 mi
- Gilstad Lake · 257 ac · 6.3 mi
- Benjamin Lake · 33 ac · 6.6 mi
- Moose Lake · 601 ac · 7.1 mi
- Dunbar Lake · 268 ac · 7.6 mi
- Pimushe Lake · 1,230 ac · 8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Decker Lake?
Decker Lake reaches 12 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Decker Lake?
Decker Lake covers 325 acres with about 4.2 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Decker Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1985) record walleye, northern pike, yellow perch.
Is Decker Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Decker Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Decker Lake have a public access?
Yes. Decker Lake has one public access site: Decker Lake (trailer launch).
When was Decker Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Decker Lake in 1985, the most recent of 2 surveys on record. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
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