Minnesota · Washington County
DeMontreville Lake Fishing guide
DeMontreville Lake is a 157-acre lake in Washington County, Minnesota, reaching 24 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 15.9 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 19 times, most recently in 2019, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 7 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassOne of the best around100.9per hr (electrofishing)14"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 368 fish
Recent · 2011 + 2017 + 2018Lengths measured · 6 fish
2018Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 354 fish
2017Lengths measured · 8 fish
2011Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 48 fish
2005Northern pikeGood numbers11.6per gill net21"Typical35"Biggest
Lengths measured · 124 fish
Recent · 2011 + 2017 + 2018Lengths measured · 54 fish
2018Lengths measured · 7 fish
2017Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 63 fish
2011Lengths measured · 67 fish
2005BluegillJust a few21.9per trap net4"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 558 fish
Recent · 2011 + 2017 + 2018Lengths measured · 195 fish
2018Lengths measured · 234 fish
2017Lengths measured · 129 fish
2011Lengths measured · 585 fish
2005CrappieJust a few5.1per trap net8"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 95 fish
Recent · 2011 + 2017 + 2018Lengths measured · 9 fish
2018Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 18 fish
2017Lengths measured · 68 fish
2011Lengths measured · 27 fish
2005Yellow perchGood numbers6.4per gill net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 64 fish
Recent · 2011 + 2018Lengths measured · 10 fish
2018Lengths measured · 54 fish
2011Lengths measured · 9 fish
2005Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 35 fish
2002No recent survey rating.
Rates 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 DeMontreville 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 15.9 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 82% 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.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 15.9 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 82% 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 16" | 33" | — |
| 2017 | 18" | 26" | — |
| 2011 | 18" | 35" | 21" |
| 2005 | 20" | 28" | 18" |
| 2002 | 15" | 31" | 25" |
| 1999 | 21" | 30" | — |
| 1996 | 19" | 35" | — |
| 1995 | 19" | — | — |
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 · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
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 2019 survey
A targeted survey was conducted on DeMontreville Lake July 24-25, 2019 by Fisheries Lake Index of Biological Integrity (FIBI) program staff. Sampling methods targeted nearshore, small-bodied fish and included seining and backpack electrofishing. Ten sampling stations were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all ten stations, but one station was sampled from the boat due to site conditions. A 50-foot seine was used to sample five stations, a 15-foot seine was used at four stations and soft substrates and dense emergent vegetation prevented the use of seines at one site. Nearshore sampling captured 10 native species of fish including one species intolerant of habitat disturbance (Iowa Darter) and one species tolerant of habitat disturbance (Green Sunfish).
Data from this targeted nearshore survey is combined with data from a standard gill net survey completed June 2018 and a standard trap net survey completed June 2017 to calculate a Fish-based Index of Biological Integrity (FIBI) score that describes the overall health of the lake. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify 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. Iowa Darter and Banded Killifish), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g. Green Sunfish and Common Carp). 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. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.
Read the full DNR narrative
Data from this survey indicates DeMontreville Lake is in good health as indicated by a FIBI score above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar shallow lakes. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Lower St. Croix River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
DeMontreville Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on DeMontreville 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
- Demontreville Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
DeMontreville Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Olson Lake · 87 ac · 0.4 mi
- Jane Lake · 158 ac · 1 mi
- Silver Lake · 76 ac · 2.3 mi
- Lost Lake · 22 ac · 2.4 mi
- Casey Lake · 12 ac · 3.5 mi
- Elmo Lake · 257 ac · 3.7 mi
- White Bear Lake · 2,428 ac · 4.4 mi
- Beaver Lake · 86 ac · 4.5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is DeMontreville Lake?
DeMontreville Lake reaches 24 ft at its deepest point; about 82% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is DeMontreville Lake?
DeMontreville Lake covers 157 acres with about 3.4 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in DeMontreville Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on DeMontreville Lake average 15.9 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in DeMontreville Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2019) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is DeMontreville Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for DeMontreville Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does DeMontreville Lake have a public access?
Yes. DeMontreville Lake has one public access site: Demontreville Lake (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in DeMontreville Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 18"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.
When was DeMontreville Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed DeMontreville Lake in 2019, the most recent of 19 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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