Minnesota · Itasca County
Dora Lake Fishing guide
Dora Lake is a 423-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota, reaching 18 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 8.4 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 7 times, most recently in 2019, with walleye, northern pike, bluegill and crappie in the nets. That survey is 7 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Northern pikeJust a few4per gill net17"Typical22"Biggest
Lengths measured · 34 fish
Recent · 2019Lengths measured · 34 fish
2019Lengths measured · 49 fish
2006Lengths measured · 19 fish
1998BluegillJust a few1.3per trap net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 12 fish
Recent · 2019Lengths measured · 12 fish
2019Lengths measured · 19 fish
2006Lengths measured · 2 fish
1998Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Yellow perchGood numbers12.3per gill net7"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 118 fish
Recent · 2019Lengths measured · 118 fish
2019Lengths measured · 444 fish
2006Lengths measured · 947 fish
1998Rates 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 Dora 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 18-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 18-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 | Walleye | Northern pike | Yellow perch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 18" | 22" | 11" |
| 2006 | 22" | 25" | 10" |
| 1998 | 23" | 25" | 11" |
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 · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
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
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.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Walleye | 200,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 225,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 225,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 225,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2019 survey
Dora Lake is located in northwest Itasca County near Wirt, MN and is part of the Big Fork River watershed in the Hudson Bay drainage. This riverine lake is a widening of the Big Fork River. Dora Lake covers 447 acres and has a maximum depth of 18 ft. Partial winterkills have occurred occasionally. The water is bog stained and aquatic vegetation is abundant.
The lake management plan (LMP) was last revised in 2007. Goals of the LMP were to maintain a strong Walleye spawning population in the lake and the upper Bigfork River watershed, and maintain a resident Walleye population at 2.0/gill net. A standard survey was conducted in 2019 to determine the status of the fish community.
Read the full DNR narrative
Walleye: Catch rates for Walleye have been relatively low compared to similar lakes. Spawning habitat has been rated as fair, but good natural reproduction has historically occurred in the lakes and rivers connected to Dora. Though juvenile and adult habitat conditions in Dora Lake are poor, Walleye are found seasonally, particularly during the spring. The 1986 catch was the lowest on record and occurred during a period of annual fry stocking. Walleye stocking was discontinued by the DNR after 1995 because it did not appear to contribute to the fishery. The Dora Lake Walleye Restoration Association has purchased fry since 2010 but these efforts have also not improved Walleye numbers. The 2019 catch of 0.5/net was lower than the long-term average of 1.8/net, despite stocking eight times from 2010 to 2018. It does not appear that stocking is an effective tool to increase Walleye numbers in Dora Lake, given the results of the previous efforts. The four Walleye sampled ranged from 15.5 to 18.8 inches. Interestingly, three of the four Walleye sampled were aged from the 2015 year-class that happened to be the only year that fry were not stocked.
Northern Pike: Catch rates for Northern Pike have been low compared to similar lakes. Size structure has generally been poor, and no pike over 28 inches have been sampled in the last three surveys. Pike sampled in 2019 ranged from 11.5 to 21.4 inches and averaged 17.2 inches. Poor size quality and low numbers may limit the popularity of the pike fishery.
Yellow Perch: Catch rates for Yellow Perch have been high compared to lakes with similar habitats. Perch in Dora Lake should be large enough to be of interest to anglers. The sampled perch ranged from 4.9 to 11.4 inches and averaged 7.9 inches.
Bluegill: Catch rates for Bluegill were low compared to other lakes with similar habitats. Sizes ranged from 6.1 to 9.4 inches but averaged 7.6 inches. The lake appears to provide good opportunities for low catches of large Bluegill.
Other species captured include Black Bullhead, Black Crappie, Bowfin, Brown Bullhead, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Rock Bass, Shorthead Redhorse, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Dora Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Dora 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
- Dora Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Dora Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Clear Lake · 140 ac · 3.6 mi
- Noma Lake · 61 ac · 3.9 mi
- Rice Lake · 791 ac · 5.3 mi
- Whitefish Lake · 564 ac · 5.6 mi
- Little Whitefish Lake · 160 ac · 5.7 mi
- Little Sand Lake · 353 ac · 6.5 mi
- Natures Lake · 2,249 ac · 6.8 mi
- Cedar Lake · 178 ac · 7.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Dora Lake?
Dora Lake reaches 18 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Dora Lake?
Dora Lake covers 423 acres with about 6.8 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Dora Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Dora Lake average 8.4 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Dora Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2019) record walleye, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Dora Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2022; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Dora Lake have a public access?
Yes. Dora Lake has one public access site: Dora Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Dora Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 18"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1998.
When was Dora Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Dora Lake in 2019, the most recent of 7 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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