Minnesota · Hubbard County
Fourth Crow Wing Lake Fishing guide
Fourth Crow Wing Lake sits in Hubbard County, Minnesota, and covers 434 acres, reaching 10 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 8.4 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 9 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Northern pikeGood numbers14.2per gill net19"Typical38"Biggest
Lengths measured · 90 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 90 fish
2024Lengths measured · 136 fish
2019Lengths measured · 113 fish
2014Lengths measured · 66 fish
2009BluegillFair numbers34.6per trap net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 357 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 357 fish
2024Lengths measured · 296 fish
2019Lengths measured · 173 fish
2014Lengths measured · 289 fish
2009CrappieJust a few0.1per trap net8"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 12 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 12 fish
2024Lengths measured · 14 fish
2019Lengths measured · 28 fish
2014Lengths measured · 23 fish
2009Yellow perchGood numbers4.7per gill net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 29 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 29 fish
2024Lengths measured · 79 fish
2019Lengths measured · 74 fish
2014Lengths measured · 21 fish
2009Rates 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 Fourth 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. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops. A 10-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows. 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 | Northern pike | Walleye | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 38" | 21" | 17" |
| 2019 | 34" | 21" | 20" |
| 2014 | 28" | 23" | 18" |
| 2009 | 32" | 18" | 17" |
| 2004 | 27" | 21" | 17" |
| 1994 | 40" | 22" | 15" |
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 · Hardbaits
Weedless Spoon + Trailer (Silver Minnow)
3/8–1/2 oz weedless spoon
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Walleye · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
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.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
Fourth Crow Wing Lake is located eight miles south of Nevis in southern Hubbard County. Fourth Crow Wing is part of a chain of lakes running from Eleventh Crow Wing Lake at the headwaters, down to First Crow Wing Lake. Fourth Crow Wing Lake has a surface area of 441 acres and a maximum depth of 10 feet. A DNR-owned public access is located on the east shore of the lake off West Island Lake Road. Boating access is also available through a narrow channel from Third Crow Wing Lake.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. Fourth Crow Wing Lake is in Lake Class 39. Class 39 lakes are generally shallow with a high littoral area (less than 15 feet deep), and a regularly shaped shoreline. Other class 39 lakes in the Park Rapids area include: First Crow Wing, Ham, Hennepin, Loon, Minnie, Paine, Peysenski, Portage, Rice, Shallow, Upper Twin, Wolf, Hungryman and Stocking.
Read the full DNR narrative
Fourth Crow Wing Lake supports a healthy panfish population and can provide good fishing for Bluegill, Pumpkinseed and Black Crappie. Bluegills were sampled in good numbers, similar to past surveys. Anglers will find most Bluegill and Pumpkinseed in the 5.5 - 9 inch size range, with an average length of 7.0 inches. A special regulation of a daily limit of 5 for Bluegill was implemented in 2021. The objective of the lowered bag limit is to spread out the harvest and allow for more fish to attain larger sizes (8-10 inches). The Black Crappie catch rate was on the lower end when compared to other local lakes. Black Crappie size averaged 8.9 inches, with fish up to 10.5 inches sampled.
Yellow Perch were sampled in low numbers. Most fish ranged from 5.5 to 7.0 inches, with a few approaching 9.5 inches.
Largemouth Bass were a good size, but in fairly low numbers. They were an average length of 14.2 inches, with fish sampled up to 15.8 inches.
Anglers can expect to find an abundant population of Northern Pike in Fourth Crow Wing Lake. Northern Pike were an average length and weight of 20.3 inches and 2.2 pounds, with the largest measured at 38 inches.
Fourth Crow Wing Lake was listed in 2011 as infested with faucet snails, an aquatic invasive species (AIS). To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Fourth Crow Wing Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Fourth 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
- 4th Crow Wing Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Fourth Crow Wing Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Third Crow Wing Lake · 643 ac · 0.9 mi
- Island Lake · 225 ac · 1.4 mi
- Second Crow Wing Lake · 221 ac · 2.5 mi
- Big Stony Lake · 343 ac · 2.6 mi
- First Crow Wing Lake · 522 ac · 2.9 mi
- Fifth Crow Wing Lake · 400 ac · 3.4 mi
- Sixth Crow Wing Lake · 346 ac · 3.7 mi
- Palmer Lake · 146 ac · 3.7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Fourth Crow Wing Lake?
Fourth Crow Wing Lake reaches 10 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 5 ft; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Fourth Crow Wing Lake?
Fourth Crow Wing Lake covers 434 acres with about 4.8 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Fourth Crow Wing Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Fourth Crow Wing Lake average 8.4 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Fourth Crow Wing Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Fourth Crow Wing Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Fourth Crow Wing Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Fourth Crow Wing Lake have a public access?
Yes. Fourth Crow Wing Lake has one public access site: 4th Crow Wing Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Fourth Crow Wing Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 38"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1994.
When was Fourth Crow Wing Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Fourth Crow Wing Lake in 2024, the most recent of 9 surveys on record.
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 Fourth Crow Wing Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
Open Fourth Crow Wing Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report