Minnesota · Itasca County
Dunbar Lake Fishing guide
Dunbar Lake is a 268-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota, reaching 30 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 2.9 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 6 times, most recently in 2011, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 15 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeFair numbers1.7per gill net15"Typical25"Biggest
Lengths measured · 11 fish
Recent · 2011Lengths measured · 11 fish
2011Lengths measured · 12 fish
2001Lengths measured · 21 fish
1996Northern pikeJust a few3.8per gill net19"Typical31"Biggest
Lengths measured · 34 fish
Recent · 2011Lengths measured · 34 fish
2011Lengths measured · 62 fish
2001Lengths measured · 39 fish
1996CrappieJust a few3.1per trap net4"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 66 fish
Recent · 2011Lengths measured · 66 fish
2011Lengths measured · 35 fish
2001Lengths measured · 53 fish
1996Yellow perchGood numbers8per gill net6"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 60 fish
Recent · 2011Lengths measured · 60 fish
2011Lengths measured · 145 fish
2001Lengths measured · 123 fish
1996Rates 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 Dunbar Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 2.9 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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 61% 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.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. In 2.9 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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 61% 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.
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 | Largemouth bass | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 25" | — | 31" |
| 2001 | 23" | 20" | 30" |
| 1996 | 28" | 4" | 28" |
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
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Jigs & bladed
Skirted Casting Jig + Craw Trailer
3.5–4" craw-style trailer on a skirted casting/flipping jig
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
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 2011 survey
Dunbar Lake is a class 34 lake located five miles west of Squaw Lake, MN. The Dunbar River exits the lake and flows into Round Lake. The lake has one earthen public access that is down a relatively steep hill on the west shore. The 2002 lake management plan indicates black crappie and bluegill as the primary species of management with northern pike and walleye as secondary species. The 2011 assessment also included additional sampling of near shore fish species in order to calculate an Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) score.
Black crappie were sampled with trap nets at a rate of 3.1 fish/net while gill nets sampled them at a rate of 6.3 fish/net. The catch rates were above average for the respective gears. The trap net sampled fish ranged from 3.7 to 12.2 inches and averaged 6.1 inches. The gill net sampled fish were smaller ranging from 4.2 to 5.4 inches. Four age-classes from 1 to 6 years old were identified from scales. The 2010 year class dominated the sample and may help to improve fishing in a few years. Growth was good compared to statewide averages with fish averaging 10.4 inches after five years of growth.
Read the full DNR narrative
Trap-net catch rates for bluegill have been below the lake class first quartile value of 5.9 fish/net in all assessments. The trap-net catch of 1.0 fish/net in 2011 was a little below average for this lake. Bluegill lengths ranged from 5.5 to 9.8 inches and averaged 8.5 inches. Four age-classes were identified from scales ranging from age 2 to age 6. Growth rates were excellent compared to other similar lakes.
Northern pike gill-net catch rates have ranged from 0.5 to 8.2 fish/net since 1973. In 2011, northern pike gill-net catch was 3.8 fish/net which was below the lake class median of 5.1 fish/net. The gill net sampled fish were small, ranging from 16.7 to 22.1 inches with an average length of 19.5 inches. However, the trap nets sampled three fish from 27 to nearly 32 inches. Six year-classes were identified from bony structures ranging from age 2 to 10. Northern pike averaged 17.4 inches by age 4 which was less than the statewide average of 20.5 inches.
Walleye numbers in Dunbar Lake have generally been low and appear to be dependent upon migration from Round Lake. Walleye catch rates have ranged from 1.7 to 3.0 since the July assessments began in 1978. In 2011, the catch was 1.7 fish/gill net. The catch rate was within the normal range for class 34 lakes. The sampled fish ranged from 8.7 to 18.0 inches and averaged 14.3 inches. Six age classes from age 1 to 7 were identified from bony structures. Growth was similar to statewide averages for all ages. Walleye averaged 13.7 inches after four years of growth.
Yellow perch gill-net catch rates have ranged from 4.6 to 31.0 fish/net since 1973. In 2011, the catch was 8.0 fish/net and approached the lake class median. The sampled fish ranged from 4.1 to 10.1 inches and averaged 7.0 inches. Age and growth information was not collected.
Other species observed during the population assessment included bowfin, brown bullhead, pumpkinseed sunfish, rock bass, white sucker, and yellow bullhead. Additional species observed during IBI sampling included central mudminnow, golden shiner, and largemouth bass.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Dunbar Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Dunbar 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
- Dunbar Lake (carry-in)
DNR bathymetry
Dunbar Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Dixon Lake · 622 ac · 3.4 mi
- Round Lake · 2,860 ac · 4 mi
- Natures Lake · 2,249 ac · 5.8 mi
- Shallow Pond · 225 ac · 7.4 mi
- Decker Lake · 325 ac · 7.6 mi
- Rice Lake · 791 ac · 9.1 mi
- Sunken Lake · 45 ac · 9.6 mi
- Little Sand Lake · 353 ac · 9.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Dunbar Lake?
Dunbar Lake reaches 30 ft at its deepest point; about 61% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Dunbar Lake?
Dunbar Lake covers 268 acres with about 4.7 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Dunbar Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Dunbar Lake average 2.9 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Dunbar Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2011) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Dunbar Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Dunbar Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Dunbar Lake have a public access?
Yes. Dunbar Lake has one public access site: Dunbar Lake (carry-in).
How big do walleye get in Dunbar Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 25"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1996.
When was Dunbar Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Dunbar Lake in 2011, the most recent of 6 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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