Minnesota · St. Louis County
Dinham Lake Fishing guide
Dinham Lake sits in St. Louis County, Minnesota, and covers 202 acres, reaching 25 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 4.2 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 5 times, most recently in 2018, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 8 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassGood numbers67.4per hr (electrofishing)10"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 116 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 116 fish
2018Lengths measured · 57 fish
2010Lengths measured · 10 fish
2002Lengths measured · 1 fish
1994Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Northern pikeJust a few2.7per gill net24"Typical32"Biggest
Lengths measured · 20 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 20 fish
2018Lengths measured · 12 fish
2010Lengths measured · 35 fish
2002Lengths measured · 14 fish
1994BluegillJust a few18per trap net4"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 179 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 179 fish
2018Lengths measured · 486 fish
2010Lengths measured · 80 fish
2002Lengths measured · 137 fish
1994CrappieJust a few8.5per trap net7"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 171 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 171 fish
2018Lengths measured · 132 fish
2010Lengths measured · 97 fish
2002Lengths measured · 63 fish
1994Rates 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 Dinham 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.
- 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 66% 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.
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 66% 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.
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 | Walleye | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 18" | 23" | 32" |
| 2010 | 18" | 27" | 28" |
| 2002 | 17" | 18" | 27" |
| 1994 | 9" | 22" | 30" |
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 · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
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
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 2018 survey
Dinham is a 207 acre lake located 2 miles south of Melrude, MN on County Road 59. There is a DNR administered public access in the northeast bay off of Township Road 542. Maximum depth is 25 feet, with 64% of the lake less than 15 feet deep. Dinham was last assessed in 2010. Dinham was surveyed during the summer of 2018 to update information about fish populations.
A total of 114 Largemouth Bass were sampled by electrofishing. The Largemouth Bass catch rate was 67.4 fish per hour, which was slightly lower than 2010 (72.7 per hour). Average length of sampled Largemouth Bass was 12.4 inches, but large fish over 18 inches were sampled and should provide quality angling opportunities.
Read the full DNR narrative
Northern Pike abundance of 2.7 per gillnet lift was average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Average length was 24.5 inches.
Black Crappie and Bluegill population densities were above average compared to other similar Minnesota lakes, but size was small. Black Crappie average length was 7.0 inches, while Bluegill average length was 5.0 inches. Yellow Perch were scarce.
Walleye have not been stocked into Dinham since 2001. Walleye abundance of 0.7 per gillnet lift was below average compared to other similar Minnesota lakes, but gillnet abundance has historically been low in Dinham and has never exceeded 1.0 per gillnet lift.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Dinham Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Dinham 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
- Dinham Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Dinham Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Wilson Lake · 56 ac · 2 mi
- Cameron Lake · 168 ac · 2.4 mi
- Schubert Lake · 212 ac · 3.3 mi
- Little Long Lake · 18 ac · 5.6 mi
- Strand Lake · 330 ac · 5.7 mi
- Long Lake · 199 ac · 6 mi
- Elliot Lake · 373 ac · 6.2 mi
- Murphy Lake · 354 ac · 6.6 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Dinham Lake?
Dinham Lake reaches 25 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 13 ft; about 66% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Dinham Lake?
Dinham Lake covers 202 acres with about 3.4 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Dinham Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Dinham Lake average 4.2 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Dinham Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2018) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Dinham Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Dinham Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Dinham Lake have a public access?
Yes. Dinham Lake has one public access site: Dinham Lake (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Dinham 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 1994.
When was Dinham Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Dinham Lake in 2018, the most recent of 5 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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