Minnesota · Lake County
Fall Lake Fishing guide
Fall Lake covers 2,259 acres in Lake County, Minnesota, reaching 32 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 4.4 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 13 times, most recently in 2022, with walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeOne of the best around16.7per gill net11"Typical25"Biggest
Lengths measured · 199 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 199 fish
2022Lengths measured · 86 fish
2017Lengths measured · 133 fish
2012Lengths measured · 170 fish
2007Northern pikeJust a few3.3per gill net19"Typical27"Biggest
Lengths measured · 40 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 40 fish
2022Lengths measured · 32 fish
2017Lengths measured · 45 fish
2012Lengths measured · 72 fish
2007Yellow perchFair numbers4.1per gill net8"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 49 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 49 fish
2022Lengths measured · 58 fish
2017Lengths measured · 46 fish
2012Lengths measured · 76 fish
2007Rates 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 Fall 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.
Smallmouth bass
- Spring
- Smallmouth are on shallow rock, gravel and sand where they spawn.
- 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.
- Fall
- Smallmouth are bunched tight on deep rock, so find one and you have found the school.
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 | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 25" | 20" | 27" |
| 2017 | 26" | — | 29" |
| 2012 | 21" | 17" | 33" |
| 2007 | 22" | 14" | 37" |
| 2003 | 28" | 16" | 28" |
| 1999 | 21" | 13" | 38" |
| 1995 | 23" | — | 27" |
| 1993 | 19" | 14" | 38" |
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 · Trolling
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Ned Rig
2.75" finesse stickbait or craw-style Ned bait
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)
4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic
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.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2022 survey
Fall Lake is located four miles northeast of Ely. There are three main public accesses, two of which have concrete ramps, the other is gravel. This 2,258 acre lake contains two substantial inlets. The Shagawa River comes in on the west end of the lake and the Kawishiwi River enters on the south side at the site of the Winton Hydroelectric dam. The one outlet flows over a low head dam located on the north side of the lake on its way to Newton, then Basswood Lake. Fall has a maximum depth of 32 feet and brown colored water.
On August 22, 2022 Fall Lake was weakly thermally stratified with a surface temperature of 73 F and a bottom temperature of 63 F. Oxygen levels were adequate for gamefish to a depth of 23 feet where the water temperature was 68 F. Shoal-water substrates consist of mostly boulder with some areas of gravel and sand.
Read the full DNR narrative
The overall gillnet catch rate for all fish combined was 32.8 fish/net which was just below the historic average on Fall Lake. Total yield was 25.9 lbs/net which was also just below the average of past surveys on the lake. Fish species sampled were walleye, tullibee, yellow perch, white sucker, northern pike, rock bass, and smallmouth bass.
Two-hundred walleye were sampled in gill nets for a catch rate of 16.7 fish/net which was very good compared to other similar lakes and the highest catch rate in the history of Fall Lake. It also ranks 7th out of 198 surveys of walleye lakes in the area. Sizes ranged from 4 to 26 inches with an average of 12 inches. Growth was slow as it took the average walleye six years to reach 15 inches. Ages ranged from 0 to 16 years. One hundred eighty-four of 199 fish (92%) were age-4 or younger and there were no missing year classes between 2013 and 2022.
The northern pike gillnet catch rate of 3.3 fish/net was near the lake's historic average and better than average compared to other similar lakes. Lengths ranged from 15 to 27.5 inches with an average of 19.5 inches.
The yellow perch gillnet catch rate was 4.1 fish/net which was just below average for Fall Lake. Lengths were similar to past surveys with a range from 5 to 11 inches and an average of 8 inches.
Fifty-four cisco were sampled for a catch rate of 4.5 fish/net. This was below the lake's historic average. Sizes were 7 to 17 inches with an average of 11 inches. Sizes were similar to past surveys.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Fall Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Fall 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
- Fall Lake (N) (trailer launch)
- Fall Lake (S) (trailer launch)
- Fall Lake (S) (trailer launch)
- Fall Lake Fishing Pier (fishing pier)
DNR bathymetry
Fall Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Browns Lake · 219 ac · 1 mi
- Stub Lake · 89 ac · 1.9 mi
- Garden Lake · 653 ac · 2 mi
- Cedar Lake · 465 ac · 2.2 mi
- Newton Lake · 516 ac · 2.8 mi
- Farm Lake · 1,292 ac · 3.2 mi
- Hobo Lake · 74 ac · 3.8 mi
- Pickerel Lake · 182 ac · 4.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Fall Lake?
Fall Lake reaches 32 ft at its deepest point; about 52% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Fall Lake?
Fall Lake covers 2,259 acres with about 30.9 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Fall Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Fall Lake average 4.4 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Fall Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2022) record walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Fall Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Fall Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Fall Lake have a public access?
Yes. Fall Lake has 4 public access sites, including Fall Lake (N) (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Fall Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 25"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1993.
When was Fall Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Fall Lake in 2022, the most recent of 13 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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