Minnesota · Itasca County
Elizabeth Lake Fishing guide
Elizabeth Lake sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, and covers 193 acres, reaching 42 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 2 times, most recently in 1987, with largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and crappie in the nets. That survey is 39 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Elizabeth Lake in 1987. 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 Elizabeth 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 42 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 42 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 1987 survey
northern pike abundance and size are good. Bluegill abundant, but very small. Yellow perch population is very low.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Elizabeth Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Elizabeth 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
- Public access: NONE
DNR bathymetry
Elizabeth Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Highland Lake · 105 ac · 1.1 mi
- Gunn Lake · 382 ac · 1.9 mi
- Burrows Lake · 306 ac · 2.1 mi
- Black Island Lake · 117 ac · 2.2 mi
- Lost Moose Lake · 112 ac · 3 mi
- Burnt Shanty Lake · 198 ac · 3 mi
- Ruby Lake · 235 ac · 3.3 mi
- Horseshoe Lake · 142 ac · 3.3 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Elizabeth Lake?
Elizabeth Lake reaches 42 ft at its deepest point; about 46% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Elizabeth Lake?
Elizabeth Lake covers 193 acres with about 4.2 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Elizabeth Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1987) record largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Elizabeth Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Elizabeth Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Elizabeth Lake have a public access?
Yes. Elizabeth Lake has one public access site: Public access (NONE).
When was Elizabeth Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Elizabeth Lake in 1987, the most recent of 2 surveys on record. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
Featured guide spot
Your guide service here
One featured guide per lake, with your photo, your writeup and a link straight to your booking page. Free through December 31, 2026.
Then $20 a month from January. Cancel any time.
The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Elizabeth Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
Open Elizabeth Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report