Minnesota · Crow Wing County
Dolney Lake Fishing guide
Dolney Lake is a 272-acre lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, reaching 16 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 11 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 4 times, most recently in 2017, with largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and crappie in the nets. That survey is 9 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassGood numbers88.4per hr (electrofishing)7"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 99 fish
Recent · 2017Lengths measured · 99 fish
2017Lengths measured · 29 fish
2003Northern pikeOne of the best around27per gill net23"Typical37"Biggest
Lengths measured · 72 fish
Recent · 2017Lengths measured · 72 fish
2017Lengths measured · 80 fish
2003BluegillFair numbers30.2per trap net5"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 303 fish
Recent · 2017Lengths measured · 303 fish
2017Lengths measured · 468 fish
2003CrappieJust a few5per trap net9"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 49 fish
Recent · 2017Lengths measured · 49 fish
2017Lengths measured · 88 fish
2003Rates 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 Dolney Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 11 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 99% 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 16-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. At 11 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 99% 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. A 16-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.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Northern pike | Largemouth bass | Bluegill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 37" | 19" | 9" |
| 2003 | 31" | 15" | 9" |
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:
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
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
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Bluegill · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner 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 2017 survey
Dolney Lake sits off the beaten path a little bit, just east of Crosslake, MN. Most of the lake is six feet or less in depth, with two smaller holes maxing out around 16 feet. It has been subject to winterkill in the past, with the lake being dominated by bullheads after such events. Recent mild winters have allowed most fish to survive relatively well and bullhead numbers weren't terribly high in this survey.
With no walleyes present in Dolney, northern pike may be the best predator fish for anglers to target. Numbers were high (27.0/net), with an average size of 24". Fish ranged in size from 12.8"-37.1". New northern pike regulations effective March 1st, 2018 include a possession limit of 10 fish. Only 2 may be over 26" and all fish between 22"-26" must be immediately released. The intent of the regulation is to improve the harvest opportunity for pike and improve the fish community composition.
Read the full DNR narrative
The largemouth bass population was sampled by night electrofishing on May 30, 2017 at the rate of 85.4/hr. The population looked healthy, with fish ranging from 4.6"-19.2" and an average length of 10.3".
Bluegill numbers were high in 2017 (30.2/net), but size was less impressive. Average size in 2017 was only 5.8", with only 14% measuring 7" or larger. Larger bluegills have been present a few years after winterkill events and are heavily targeted by anglers according to anecdotal reports.
Black crappie numbers were average (5.0/net), with a decent assortment of sizes ranging from 4"-11.9" and representing nine year classes. Average size was 9.5".
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Dolney Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Dolney 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
- Dolney Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Dolney Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- O'Brien Lake · 186 ac · 1.7 mi
- Goodrich Lake · 382 ac · 1.7 mi
- Velvet Lake · 167 ac · 2.1 mi
- Command Lake · 21 ac · 2.5 mi
- Pickerel Lake · 117 ac · 2.9 mi
- Adney Lake · 310 ac · 3.1 mi
- Greer Lake · 354 ac · 3.4 mi
- Trout Lake · 117 ac · 3.6 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Dolney Lake?
Dolney Lake reaches 16 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 4 ft; about 99% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Dolney Lake?
Dolney Lake covers 272 acres with about 2.4 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Dolney Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Dolney Lake average 11 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Dolney Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2017) record largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Dolney Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Dolney Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Dolney Lake have a public access?
Yes. Dolney Lake has one public access site: Dolney Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Dolney Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 37"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2003.
When was Dolney Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Dolney Lake in 2017, the most recent of 4 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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