Minnesota · St. Louis County
Echo Lake Fishing guide
Echo Lake is a 1,142-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota, reaching 10 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 2.8 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 23 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeExcellent numbers10.6per gill net15"Typical27"Biggest
Lengths measured · 109 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 109 fish
2024Lengths measured · 191 fish
2019Lengths measured · 177 fish
2014Lengths measured · 5 fish
2011Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Smallmouth bassGood numbers32.9per hr (electrofishing)14"Typical17"Biggest
Lengths measured · 31 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 31 fish
2024Lengths measured · 22 fish
2014Lengths measured · 15 fish
2011Lengths measured · 19 fish
2010Northern pikeJust a few5.6per gill net22"Typical34"Biggest
Lengths measured · 68 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 68 fish
2024Lengths measured · 41 fish
2019Lengths measured · 63 fish
2014Lengths measured · 101 fish
2011BluegillJust a few0.2per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 10 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 10 fish
2024Lengths measured · 2 fish
2019Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 3 fish
2014Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 3 fish
2011Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
CrappieJust a few4.9per trap net8"Typical13"Biggest
Lengths measured · 170 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 170 fish
2024Lengths measured · 187 fish
2019Lengths measured · 127 fish
2014Lengths measured · 73 fish
2011Yellow perchGood numbers7.2per gill net6"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 77 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 77 fish
2024Lengths measured · 31 fish
2019Lengths measured · 31 fish
2014Lengths measured · 3 fish
2011Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Rates 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 Echo Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 2.8 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 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 10-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Smallmouth bass
- Spring
- Smallmouth are on shallow rock, gravel and sand where they spawn. In 2.8 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- Early summer
- Smallmouth are post-spawn on rock points, gravel bars and the adjacent breaks.
- Summer
- Smallmouth are on rock humps, points and hard-bottom breaks. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Smallmouth are bunched tight on deep rock, so find one and you have found the school. A 10-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 | Smallmouth bass | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 27" | 17" | 14" |
| 2019 | 28" | — | — |
| 2014 | 25" | 15" | 19" |
| 2011 | 18" | 18" | — |
| 2010 | 21" | 17" | — |
| 2009 | 27" | 17" | 19" |
| 2008 | 27" | 18" | 20" |
| 2006 | 26" | 19" | 16" |
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 · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Smallmouth bass · Hardbaits
Walk-the-Dog Topwater
4–4.5" walk-the-dog topwater
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Ned Rig
2.75" finesse stickbait or craw-style Ned bait
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
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 2025 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Echo Lake, was conducted on July 7 - July 9, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment Program staff. Nearshore sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing, mini-fyke nets, and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at thirteen sampling stations, one station was sampled from the boat due to depth and bog-like substrate. 1/8" mesh mini-fyke net sampling was completed at fourteen sampling stations, however one net collapsed overnight and was not included in catch analysis. Additionally, a 50-foot seine was used to sample three stations and a 15-foot seine was used at five stations. Six stations were not seined due to vegetation or substrate conditions. Nearshore sampling captured eighteen species of fish, including three species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Burbot, Rock Bass, and Smallmouth Bass) and three that are tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Black Bullhead, Fathead Minnow, and Green Sunfish).
The nearshore data along with gill net and standard trap net data will be used to develop fish community models for Minnesota 's Boreal Shield lakes to measure lake health in this region. These models may function similarly to fish index of biological integrity (IBI) models developed for lakes across much of the rest of the state. For additional information, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website. You can help protect the fish community in Echo Lake by avoiding disturbance of shoreline vegetation, and cleaning, draining, and drying gear to prevent the spread of invasive species.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Echo Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Echo 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
- Echo Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Echo Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Picket Lake · 317 ac · 6.8 mi
- Maude Lake · 95 ac · 7.2 mi
- Dovre Lake · 116 ac · 7.3 mi
- Pauline Lake · 63 ac · 7.5 mi
- Kjostad Lake · 437 ac · 7.7 mi
- Crane Lake · 2,921 ac · 7.8 mi
- Astrid Lake · 120 ac · 7.9 mi
- Nigh Lake · 41 ac · 8.1 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Echo Lake?
Echo Lake reaches 10 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Echo Lake?
Echo Lake covers 1,142 acres with about 10.7 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Echo Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Echo Lake average 2.8 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Echo Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Echo Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Echo Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Echo Lake have a public access?
Yes. Echo Lake has one public access site: Echo Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Echo Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 27"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2006.
When was Echo Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Echo Lake in 2025, the most recent of 23 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Echo Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
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