Minnesota · Hubbard County
Fifth Crow Wing Lake Fishing guide
Fifth Crow Wing Lake sits in Hubbard County, Minnesota, and covers 400 acres, reaching 35 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 7.2 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 13 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers2.2per gill net16"Typical23"Biggest
Lengths measured · 21 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 21 fish
2024Lengths measured · 37 fish
2019Lengths measured · 42 fish
2014Lengths measured · 27 fish
2009Largemouth bassFair numbers26.5per hr (electrofishing)13"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 38 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 38 fish
2024Lengths measured · 32 fish
2019Lengths measured · 30 fish
2014Lengths measured · 5 fish
2009Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Northern pikeGood numbers11.1per gill net20"Typical35"Biggest
Lengths measured · 110 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 110 fish
2024Lengths measured · 82 fish
2019Lengths measured · 62 fish
2014Lengths measured · 84 fish
2009BluegillJust a few15.7per trap net5"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 856 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 856 fish
2024Lengths measured · 1798 fish
2019Lengths measured · 256 fish
2014Lengths measured · 105 fish
2009CrappieJust a few1.9per trap net9"Typical13"Biggest
Lengths measured · 196 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 196 fish
2024Lengths measured · 186 fish
2019Lengths measured · 24 fish
2014Lengths measured · 24 fish
2009Yellow perchGood numbers11.9per gill net5"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 107 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 107 fish
2024Lengths measured · 102 fish
2019Lengths measured · 172 fish
2014Lengths measured · 96 fish
2009Last recorded in the 1955 survey and not seen since.
Rock bassGood numbers1per trap net7"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 13 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 13 fish
2024Lengths measured · 3 fish
2019Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 6 fish
2014Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 7 fish
2009Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Rates 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 Fifth Crow Wing Lake through the year
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.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
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.
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 | Northern pike | Walleye | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 35" | 23" | 19" |
| 2019 | 32" | 26" | 18" |
| 2014 | 32" | 27" | 20" |
| 2009 | 36" | 22" | 18" |
| 2004 | 37" | 27" | 21" |
| 1999 | 38" | 28" | 19" |
| 1994 | 31" | 29" | 14" |
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:
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
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
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
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 | 4,100 fingerlings |
| 2023 | Walleye | 2,150 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 4,453 fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 4,500 fingerlings |
| 2017 | Walleye | 4,400 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Fifth Crow Wing Lake on August 1st, 2025. This was done to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake. Cisco require a layer of oxythermal habitat that contains water temperatures below 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) and dissolved oxygen concentrations above 3.0 mg/L. Based on data collected from the deepest basin (maximum sampled depth was 33.1 feet), the water temperature decreased to 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) at 15.3 feet and the dissolved oxygen concentration decreased to 3.0 mg/L at 14.9 feet at the time of sampling. Therefore, the water column did not contain a layer of water with sufficient temperature and dissolved oxygen for Cisco.
Further, the temperature at which dissolved oxygen decreased to 3.0 mg/L (i.e., TDO3, a single variable to characterize oxythermal habitat) was 21.4 degrees C (70.5 degrees F). TDO3 values warmer than 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) indicate that oxythermal conditions were unsuitable for Cisco at the time of the survey.
Read the full DNR narrative
Data collected by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources during the period of maximum oxythermal stress (July 26th to Aug 24th) in 2009, 2023, 2024 indicated suitable oxythermal habitat in most years surveyed, with the least favorable conditions recorded in 2025 when the suitable oxythermal habitat layer was 0 feet thick. When adequate oxythermal habitat is not available, Cisco are squeezed into unfavorable, warmer water conditions and experience higher levels of stress.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Fifth Crow Wing Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Fifth 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
- DNR access: Public access located on Sixth Crow Wing.
DNR bathymetry
Fifth Crow Wing Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Sixth Crow Wing Lake · 346 ac · 1.5 mi
- Belle Taine Lake · 1,497 ac · 1.8 mi
- Big Stony Lake · 343 ac · 3.2 mi
- Fourth Crow Wing Lake · 434 ac · 3.4 mi
- Seventh Crow Wing Lake · 262 ac · 3.4 mi
- Shallow Lake · 284 ac · 3.5 mi
- Island Lake · 225 ac · 3.5 mi
- Peysenske Lake · 220 ac · 3.5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Fifth Crow Wing Lake?
Fifth Crow Wing Lake reaches 35 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 15 ft; about 49% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Fifth Crow Wing Lake?
Fifth Crow Wing Lake covers 400 acres with about 4.3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Fifth Crow Wing Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Fifth Crow Wing Lake average 7.2 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Fifth Crow Wing Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, brown trout, rock bass.
Is Fifth Crow Wing Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Fifth Crow Wing Lake have a public access?
Yes. Fifth Crow Wing Lake has one public access site: DNR access (Public access located on Sixth Crow Wing.).
How big do northern pike get in Fifth Crow Wing Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 35"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1994.
When was Fifth Crow Wing Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Fifth Crow Wing Lake in 2025, the most recent of 13 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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