Minnesota · Anoka County
Fish Lake Fishing guide
Fish Lake sits in Anoka County, Minnesota, and covers 334 acres, reaching 10 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 4 times, most recently in 1998, with bluegill, crappie and yellow perch in the nets. That survey is 28 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Fish Lake in 1998. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Bluegill
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
How to fish Fish Lake through the year
Bluegill
- Spring
- Bluegill are on the beds in firm-bottomed shallows, in colonies of dozens. On a clear lake those colonies sit deeper than you expect.
- Early summer
- Bluegill are off the beds and onto the weed edges and brush, the biggest ones pulling out first.
- Summer
- Bluegill are on the deep weedline of a stratified lake, sliding out as the surface starts back down. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Bluegill are back up onto the flats and into the last green weeds, feeding hard while the shallows still hold heat. A 10-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Crappie
- Spring
- Crappie are up in the back bays and against wood in a few feet of water, spawning shallower than most people fish for them.
- Early summer
- Crappie are pulling off the bays to the first deep weed edge and brush, still reachable shallow at dusk.
- Summer
- Crappie are over the basin of a stratified lake, well off any structure, which is why summer netting barely catches them inshore. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Crappie are schooled along the deep weedline and the basin edge, pushing shallow to feed at dusk while the water still turns over slowly. A 10-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 | Bluegill | Crappie | Yellow perch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 7" | 10" | — |
| 1993 | 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:
Bluegill · Live bait
Clip-On Bobber + Worm
half to whole garden nightcrawler
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Crappie · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Crappie · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner jighead
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Yellow perch · Live bait
Slip Bobber + Leech
jumbo or large leech
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 1998 survey
The fish population of the lake consists of abundant green sunfish and black bullhead, good numbers of small bluegill and hybrid sunfish, and a few average sized black crappie. Green sunfish were larger than average for the species(up to 8"), but most anglers would consider them small sized. A few bluegills over 6" were sampled, but the smaller bluegill(under 6") were more abundant. No predators were sampled in this investigation.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Fish Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Fish 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
- County access: On north side of lake off of CoRd 76.
DNR bathymetry
Fish Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Typo Lake · 298 ac · 4.2 mi
- Martin Lake · 232 ac · 4.3 mi
- Linwood Lake · 572 ac · 4.7 mi
- Coon Lake · 1,481 ac · 6.6 mi
- George Lake · 489 ac · 8.7 mi
- Long Lake · 387 ac · 9.8 mi
- Florence Lake · 135 ac · 9.9 mi
- Ham Lake · 155 ac · 10.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Fish Lake?
Fish Lake reaches 10 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 3 ft; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Fish Lake?
Fish Lake covers 334 acres with about 3.4 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Fish Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1998) record bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Fish Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Fish Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Fish Lake have a public access?
Yes. Fish Lake has one public access site: County access (On north side of lake off of CoRd 76.).
When was Fish Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Fish Lake in 1998, the most recent of 4 surveys on record. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
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The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Fish Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
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