Minnesota · Grant County
Elk Lake Fishing guide
Elk Lake sits in Grant County, Minnesota, and covers 207 acres, reaching 29 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 6.8 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 10 times, most recently in 2021, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2024One of the best around14.7per gill net15"Typical27"Biggest
Lengths measured · 104 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 104 fish
2021Lengths measured · 35 fish
2015Lengths measured · 52 fish
2009Lengths measured · 47 fish
2005Largemouth bassGood numbers96.7per hr (electrofishing)15"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 182 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 182 fish
2021Lengths measured · 97 fish
2015Lengths measured · 85 fish
2009Lengths measured · 158 fish
2005BluegillOne of the best around106.1per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 1145 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 1145 fish
2021Lengths measured · 183 fish
2015Lengths measured · 101 fish
2009Lengths measured · 148 fish
2005Yellow perchGood numbers5.8per gill net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 34 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 34 fish
2021Lengths measured · 221 fish
2015Lengths measured · 75 fish
2009Lengths measured · 51 fish
2005Rates 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 Elk Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds.
- 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.
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.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 27" | 19" | 26" |
| 2015 | 27" | 18" | 24" |
| 2009 | 27" | 17" | 31" |
| 2005 | 27" | 18" | 31" |
| 2001 | 28" | 19" | 10" |
| 1997 | 23" | 7" | — |
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 · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | 54,500 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 3,762 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 160 adults |
| 2020 | Walleye | 219 yearlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 2,880 fingerlings · 1,025 yearlings · 80 adults |
| 2016 | Walleye | 2,850 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2021 survey
Elk Lake is a 207-acre lake located two miles north of Hoffman in Grant County. Average and maximum depth are 15 and 29 feet, respectively. Water clarity was 7.5 feet during the survey. City-owned beach and campground facilities are located on the south shore next to the public access. Because of this it is a popular recreational lake that can become busy during the summer.
Elk is primarily managed for its Walleye fishery and the Walleye abundance is high (14.7/gill net) when compared to similar lakes, or recent surveys. Analysis has shown that the Walleye population is primarily driven by natural reproduction. Most of the Walleye sampled were young, with lengths under 15 inches. However, growth is fast, with fish reaching 16.2 inches by age 3. Most fish should be harvestable size with one more year of growth. Average and maximum length were 16.0 and 27.5 inches, respectively.
Read the full DNR narrative
Bluegill are currently very abundant (106.1/trap net), significantly higher than recent surveys, but so far this has not negatively affected growth. Even though most Bluegill were young, over 39% of fish sampled in trap nets exceeded 7 inches. Average and maximum length were 6.4 and 8.5 inches, respectively. If growth continues at this rate, Elk Lake should provide excellent fishing opportunity for Bluegills over the next several years
Elk Lake supports a healthy Largemouth Bass population in terms of both size and numbers. The bass catch rate (96.7/ hour) increased from the 2015 survey. In addition, the size structure continues to be impressive, with 75% of bass exceeding 15 inches. Average length was 15.3 inches and the largest bass sampled was 19.9 inches.
Yellow Perch abundance (5.8/gill net) was below the long term average (32.8/gill net), but this has not affected growth of predators that consume perch. Perch were not sampled at lengths that would be of interest to anglers, ranging from 5.7 to 8.1 inches.
Few Black Crappie or Northern Pike were sampled, but neither species has been abundant in any recent survey. Other species sampled were Green Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, White Sucker and Yellow Bullhead.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Elk Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Elk 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
- Elk Lake, Lower (trailer launch)
- Elk Lake, Upper (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Elk Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Lower Elk Lake · 131 ac · 1.2 mi
- Thompson Lake · 154 ac · 2.7 mi
- Red Rock Lake · 904 ac · 4.6 mi
- Barrett Lake · 530 ac · 5.3 mi
- Long Lake · 202 ac · 8.4 mi
- Lake Oscar · 997 ac · 9.9 mi
- Freeborn Lake · 248 ac · 10.3 mi
- Pomme de Terre Lake · 1,816 ac · 10.9 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Elk Lake?
Elk Lake reaches 29 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 15 ft; about 53% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Elk Lake?
Elk Lake covers 207 acres with about 3.3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Elk Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Elk Lake average 6.8 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Elk Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2021) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Elk Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Elk Lake have a public access?
Yes. Elk Lake has 2 public access sites, including Elk Lake, Lower (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Elk 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 1997.
When was Elk Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Elk Lake in 2021, the most recent of 10 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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