Minnesota · Kanabec County
Eleven Lake Fishing guide
Eleven Lake covers 315 acres in Kanabec County, Minnesota, reaching 13 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 2.6 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 11 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers2.2per gill net16"Typical21"Biggest
Lengths measured · 14 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 14 fish
2023Lengths measured · 21 fish
2015Lengths measured · 12 fish
2008Lengths measured · 37 fish
2003Largemouth bassJust a few14.4per hr (electrofishing)8"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 27 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 27 fish
2023Lengths measured · 36 fish
2015Lengths measured · 28 fish
2008Lengths measured · 36 fish
2003Northern pikeJust a few4.7per gill net24"Typical38"Biggest
Lengths measured · 32 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 32 fish
2023Lengths measured · 27 fish
2015Lengths measured · 60 fish
2008Lengths measured · 54 fish
2003BluegillJust a few14per trap net4"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 177 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 177 fish
2023Lengths measured · 933 fish
2015Lengths measured · 293 fish
2008Lengths measured · 242 fish
2003CrappieFair numbers10.1per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 294 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 294 fish
2023Lengths measured · 524 fish
2015Lengths measured · 214 fish
2008Lengths measured · 206 fish
2003Yellow perchGood numbers12.2per gill net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 75 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 75 fish
2023Lengths measured · 22 fish
2015Lengths measured · 25 fish
2008Lengths measured · 70 fish
2003Rates 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 Eleven Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 2.6 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 13-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. In 2.6 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 100% 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. A 13-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 | Largemouth bass | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 21" | 19" | 38" |
| 2015 | 23" | 21" | 31" |
| 2008 | 25" | 19" | 35" |
| 2003 | 28" | 18" | 27" |
| 1998 | 23" | 18" | 32" |
| 1993 | 24" | 18" | 29" |
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 · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
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.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | 79,000 fry |
| 2024 | Walleye | 79,000 fry · 1,962 fingerlings · 37 yearlings |
| 2023 | Walleye | 79,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 2,108 fingerlings |
| 2020 | Walleye | 235 yearlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 9,615 fingerlings |
| 2016 | Walleye | 890 fingerlings · 105 yearlings · 101 adults |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
Lake Eleven is a 290-acre shallow, eutrophic lake located in northeastern Kanabec County, in the Pine River/Kettle River/St. Croix River watershed. The maximum depth is 13 feet. Much of the shoreline of Lake Eleven is shrub swamp and unsuitable for development, but there are lake homes in scattered areas with development concentrated on the southeast shore. Kanabec County GIS (2024) shows 52 developed lake lots.
Eleven is a moderately soft water lake (total alkalinity ranging from 18 to 28 ppm). Water clarity is turbid with an average Secchi disc reading of 3 feet; sources of turbidity include bog stain and algae. Lake Eleven is on Minnesota's impaired waters list for excess nutrients; a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and Watershed Restoration and Protection plan (WRAPS) have been approved.
Read the full DNR narrative
Fisheries lake surveys dating back to 1959 have documented the plant community of Lake Eleven (Table 1). Historically, Lake Eleven has had a diverse native plant community, although the depth of plant growth is generally limited to 5 feet or shallower due to water turbidity. Water lilies and water shield were the most frequently sampled plants in a 2016 point-intercept survey.
Only one aquatic plant management (APM) permit has been issued on Lake Eleven; this individual permit was issued in 2024 for chemical control of submergent and floating-leaf vegetation and mechanical control of emergent vegetation to provide a channel to open water.
Minnesota DNR Fisheries Area staff delineated the floating leaf and emergent aquatic vegetation of Lake Eleven on 08/28/2024, following the protocols listed in the MN DNR Lake Plant Mapping Manual. There were a total of 62.5 acres of floating and emergent plants mapped. This consisted of 5.8 acres of emergent dominated plant communities and 56.7 acres of floating leaf plant communities. The following taxa were noted during the survey: arrowhead (Sagittaria spp.), bulrush (round-stem group) (Schoenoplectus spp.), bur-reed Floatingleaf Group (Sparganium spp.), burreed Emergent Group (Sparganium spp.), cattail (Typha spp.), sessile-fruited arrowhead (Sagittaria rigida), spikerush (Eleocharis spp.), water horsetail (Equisetum fluviatile), watershield (Brasenia schreberi), white waterlily (Nymphaea odorata), wild rice (Zizania palustris), yellow waterlily (Nuphar variegata). For more information see attached map and summary tables.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Eleven Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Eleven 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
- Eleven Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Eleven Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Bass Lake · 229 ac · 1.8 mi
- Five Lake · 44 ac · 2.7 mi
- Pine Lake · 378 ac · 3.3 mi
- Grindstone Lake · 533 ac · 3.8 mi
- Upper Pine Lake · 233 ac · 4.9 mi
- Big Pine Lake · 399 ac · 5.1 mi
- Indian Lake · 77 ac · 7.6 mi
- Fish Lake · 185 ac · 7.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Eleven Lake?
Eleven Lake reaches 13 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Eleven Lake?
Eleven Lake covers 315 acres with about 3.2 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Eleven Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Eleven Lake average 2.6 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Eleven Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Eleven Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Eleven Lake have a public access?
Yes. Eleven Lake has one public access site: Eleven Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Eleven Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 21"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1993.
When was Eleven Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Eleven Lake in 2024, the most recent of 11 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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