Minnesota · Itasca County
East Lake Fishing guide
East Lake is a 192-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota, reaching 65 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 2 times, most recently in 1982, with largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and crappie in the nets. That survey is 44 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed East Lake in 1982. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Largemouth bass
- Northern pike
- Bluegill
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
- Rock bass
How to fish East 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. On a lake that drops to 65 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- 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.
- 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. On a lake that drops to 65 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- 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.
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 · Soft plastics
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
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
Bluegill · Live bait
Clip-On Bobber + Worm
half to whole garden nightcrawler
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
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 1982 survey
The cisco, pumpkinseed and crappie populations have declined since the 1974 survey. Northern pike abundance has increased; populations of other fishes have remained stable.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
East Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on East 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.
DNR bathymetry
East Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Fox Lake · 263 ac · 1.4 mi
- Clubhouse Lake · 265 ac · 1.4 mi
- Burns Lake · 181 ac · 2.4 mi
- Horseshoe Lake · 142 ac · 2.5 mi
- Big Dick Lake · 260 ac · 2.8 mi
- Three Island Lake · 250 ac · 2.9 mi
- Batson Lake · 114 ac · 3.3 mi
- Gunn Lake · 382 ac · 3.3 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is East Lake?
East Lake reaches 65 ft at its deepest point; about 32% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is East Lake?
East Lake covers 192 acres with about 4.5 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in East Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1982) record largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is East Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for East Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
When was East Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed East Lake in 1982, the most recent of 2 surveys on record. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
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The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for East Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
Open East Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report