Minnesota · Hubbard County
Eighth Crow Wing Lake Fishing guide
Eighth Crow Wing Lake sits in Hubbard County, Minnesota, and covers 503 acres, reaching 30 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 16.6 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 11 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers3.2per gill net19"Typical29"Biggest
Lengths measured · 31 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 31 fish
2023Lengths measured · 38 fish
2018Lengths measured · 48 fish
2013Lengths measured · 67 fish
2008Largemouth bassOne of the best around114.6per hr (electrofishing)11"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 173 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 173 fish
2023Lengths measured · 122 fish
2018Lengths measured · 97 fish
2013Lengths measured · 213 fish
2008Northern pikeFair numbers6.1per gill net27"Typical36"Biggest
Lengths measured · 56 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 56 fish
2023Lengths measured · 41 fish
2018Lengths measured · 241 fish
2013Lengths measured · 54 fish
2008BluegillOne of the best around83.9per trap net5"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 852 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 852 fish
2023Lengths measured · 652 fish
2018Lengths measured · 1195 fish
2013Lengths measured · 516 fish
2008CrappieJust a few1.3per trap net7"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 26 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 26 fish
2023Lengths measured · 45 fish
2018Lengths measured · 49 fish
2013Lengths measured · 37 fish
2008Yellow perchElite fishery85.8per gill net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 773 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 773 fish
2023Lengths measured · 727 fish
2018Lengths measured · 1006 fish
2013Lengths measured · 352 fish
2008Rock bassGood numbers0.9per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 10 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 10 fish
2023Lengths measured · 9 fish
2018Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 27 fish
2013Lengths measured · 22 fish
2008Rates 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 Eighth Crow Wing 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. At 16.6 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.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 16.6 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
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 | Largemouth bass | Walleye | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 19" | 29" | 36" |
| 2018 | 19" | 29" | 41" |
| 2013 | 18" | 26" | 41" |
| 2008 | 19" | 28" | 37" |
| 2003 | 15" | 29" | 38" |
| 1998 | 15" | 27" | 42" |
| 1993 | 17" | 26" | 35" |
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:
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
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
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Inline Spinner (Mepps/Blue Fox)
#2–#4 in-line spinner
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | 3,805 fingerlings |
| 2023 | Walleye | 3,410 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 3,516 fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 3,126 fingerlings |
| 2017 | Walleye | 3,410 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2023 survey
Eighth Crow Wing is located two miles east of Nevis in southeastern Hubbard County. Eighth Crow Wing is part of a larger chain of lakes running from Eleventh Crow Wing Lake at the headwaters, down to First Crow Wing Lake. Eighth Crow Wing has a surface area of 503 acres and a maximum depth of 30 feet. A public access is located on the northeast end of the lake off Far North Drive. Boating access is also available from the channel connecting Ninth and Tenth Crow Wing Lakes. There is a small dam at the outlet of Eighth Crow Wing Lake which restricts boating downstream into Seventh Crow Wing Lake. Eighth Crow Wing provides a diverse fishery for Walleye, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, and panfish.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. Eighth Crow Wing is in lake class 31. Class 31 lakes generally have very hard water and regularly shaped shorelines. Other class 31 lakes in the Park Rapids management area include: Second, Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Crow Wing Lakes, Boulder, Duck, Evergreen, Hattie, Shingobee, Tripp, and Lower Twin.
Read the full DNR narrative
Walleye abundance was down from past surveys but still within the range for similar type lakes. Sampled Walleye had an average length of 19.9 inches with fish measured up to 29.5 inches. Yellow Perch, an important forage species for Walleye were sampled in high numbers. Yellow Perch were generally small in size with an average length of 7.6 inches and fish measured up to 9.8 inches.
A special 24-36 inch protected slot length limit for Northern Pike was implemented in the spring of 2020 on Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Crow Wing Lakes. The objective of this regulation was to maintain or increase Northern Pike sizes. From 2003 to 2019 these lakes had a 40 inch minimum size limit on Northern Pike. Sampled Northern Pike had an average length of 26.5 inches and weight of 4.5 pounds with fish measured up to 36.4 inches.
Eighth Crow Wing Lake supports healthy Largemouth Bass and panfish populations and can provide good fishing for these species. Spring electrofishing sampled good numbers of Largemouth Bass with an average size of 11.8 inches with fish measured up to 19.2 inches. Present and past surveys have shown abundant Bluegill and Pumpkinseed populations with fish in the 6-8 inch size range. Black Crappie populations have fluctuated from low to moderate numbers with fish in the 9-11 inch size range.
Currently no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Eighth Crow Wing. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all plants and animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boats before leaving the access.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Eighth Crow Wing Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Eighth Crow Wing 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
- 8th Crow Wing Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Eighth Crow Wing Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Owl Lake · 90 ac · 1.3 mi
- Ninth Crow Wing Lake · 232 ac · 1.5 mi
- Seventh Crow Wing Lake · 262 ac · 2.3 mi
- Ham Lake · 194 ac · 2.4 mi
- Tenth Crow Wing Lake · 175 ac · 2.5 mi
- Deer Lake · 181 ac · 3.4 mi
- Indian Lake · 51 ac · 3.7 mi
- Spider Lake · 570 ac · 3.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Eighth Crow Wing Lake?
Eighth Crow Wing Lake reaches 30 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 21 ft; about 30% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Eighth Crow Wing Lake?
Eighth Crow Wing Lake covers 503 acres with about 4.9 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Eighth Crow Wing Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Eighth Crow Wing Lake average 16.6 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Eighth Crow Wing Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Eighth Crow Wing Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Eighth Crow Wing Lake have a public access?
Yes. Eighth Crow Wing Lake has one public access site: 8th Crow Wing Lake (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Eighth Crow Wing Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 19"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1993.
When was Eighth Crow Wing Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Eighth Crow Wing Lake in 2023, the most recent of 11 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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