Minnesota · Itasca County
Deer Lake Fishing guide
Deer Lake sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, and covers 4,094 acres, reaching 121 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 13.3 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 13 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Excellent numbers6.1per gill net17"Typical27"Biggest
Lengths measured · 96 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 96 fish
2023Lengths measured · 158 fish
2017Lengths measured · 197 fish
2012Lengths measured · 125 fish
2005Largemouth bassJust a few19.5per hr (electrofishing)9"Typical16"Biggest
Lengths measured · 101 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 101 fish
2023Lengths measured · 61 fish
2017Lengths measured · 96 fish
2012Lengths measured · 156 fish
2005Smallmouth bassOne of the best around50.9per hr (electrofishing)13"Typical20"Biggest
Lengths measured · 227 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 227 fish
2023Lengths measured · 141 fish
2017Lengths measured · 144 fish
2012Lengths measured · 180 fish
2005Northern pikeJust a few1per gill net23"Typical37"Biggest
Lengths measured · 19 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 19 fish
2023Lengths measured · 250 fish
2017Lengths measured · 25 fish
2017Lengths measured · 5 fish
2012Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Present in recent DNR surveys.
BluegillJust a few22.9per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 328 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 328 fish
2023Lengths measured · 250 fish
2017Lengths measured · 268 fish
2012Lengths measured · 511 fish
2005Yellow perchGood numbers10.5per gill net7"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 160 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 160 fish
2023Lengths measured · 209 fish
2017Lengths measured · 161 fish
2012Lengths measured · 525 fish
2005Last recorded in the 2017 survey and not seen since.
Rock bassOne of the best around10per trap net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 257 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 257 fish
2023Lengths measured · 385 fish
2017Lengths measured · 512 fish
2012Lengths measured · 523 fish
2005Rates 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 Deer Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 13.3 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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. On a lake that drops to 121 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- 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. At 13.3 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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. On a lake that drops to 121 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- 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 | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 27" | 20" | 16" |
| 2017 | 24" | 20" | 15" |
| 2012 | 27" | 19" | 16" |
| 2005 | 28" | 18" | 16" |
| 2000 | 28" | 19" | 14" |
| 1995 | 27" | 19" | 17" |
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 · 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
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)
4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic
Smallmouth bass · Jigs & bladed
Tail Spinner
Compact lead body with a free-spinning blade on the tail
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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | 16,742 fingerlings |
| 2024 | Walleye | 30,310 fingerlings |
| 2023 | Walleye | 21,780 fingerlings |
| 2022 | Walleye | 25,760 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 17,741 fingerlings |
| 2020 | Walleye | 13,713 fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 20,118 fingerlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 18,400 fingerlings |
| 2017 | Walleye | 14,720 fingerlings |
| 2016 | Walleye | 18,400 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2023 survey
Deer Lake is in ecological lake class 22 and is located 5 miles northeast of Deer River, MN, in the Mississippi River Watershed. The lake is 4,097 acres and has a maximum depth of 121 feet. A survey targeting nearshore fish species was conducted by Area fisheries staff beginning on 17 July, 2023. Twenty-four sampling sites (100 feet long) were evenly spaced around the lake shore, sampling a variety of habitat types. Each site is sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-ft or 15-ft 1/8th inch mesh seine, depending on habitat condition.
Shoreline seining was conducted at 21 sites using the 15-ft seine (2 sites) and 50-ft seine (19 sites). Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 24 sites. Nearshore sampling captured 24 different species: 21 species by seining and 19 species by backpack electrofishing. The species can be found in the gear-specific catch tables in this report.
Read the full DNR narrative
Nearshore catches will be used with the gill net and trap net data from the standard survey conducted on 24 July, 2023, to calculate a fish-based Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) score which is indicative of lake health. The surveys will assist the watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Deer Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Deer 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
- Deer Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Deer Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Moose Lake · 1,273 ac · 1.8 mi
- Little Moose Lake · 289 ac · 2.1 mi
- Little Deer Lake · 67 ac · 2.4 mi
- McAvity Lake · 147 ac · 2.6 mi
- Long Lake · 46 ac · 3.4 mi
- Chase Lake · 211 ac · 3.5 mi
- Cottonwood Lake · 133 ac · 4 mi
- Lucky Lake · 14 ac · 4.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Deer Lake?
Deer Lake reaches 121 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 42.1 ft; about 22% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Deer Lake?
Deer Lake covers 4,094 acres with about 26.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Deer Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Deer Lake average 13.3 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Deer Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, muskellunge, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, tiger muskellunge, rock bass.
Is Deer Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Deer Lake have a public access?
Yes. Deer Lake has one public access site: Deer Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Deer Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 27"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.
When was Deer Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Deer Lake in 2023, the most recent of 13 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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