Minnesota · Carver County
Goose Lake Fishing guide
Goose Lake is a 302-acre lake in Carver County, Minnesota, reaching 10 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 2 times, most recently in 1995, with largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and crappie in the nets. That survey is 31 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Goose Lake in 1995. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Largemouth bass
- Northern pike
- Bluegill
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
- Channel catfish
How to fish Goose Lake through the year
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. With 98% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze. A 10-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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 98% 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.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
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
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Bluegill · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner jighead
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 1995 survey
The fish population was found to be dominated by black bullheads of small average size (approximately 6.0" in length). Small largemouth bass (about 10.5") and pumpkinseed sunfish (5.0) were also present in above average numbers. Northern pike were captured in numbers far below previous years standards and averaged only 12.4 inches in length. Bluegill and black crappies were also captured, but in very low numbers. Carp were present in average numbers and below average in size. Three channel catfish were captured during this survey and all three were quality size individuals. This lake has no recorded history of channel catfish being present.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Goose Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Goose 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
- Goose Lake/ Hunting access (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Goose Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Waconia Lake · 3,080 ac · 3 mi
- Swede Lake · 433 ac · 3.1 mi
- Burandt Lake · 97 ac · 3.2 mi
- Riverpointe Pond · 6 ac · 4.4 mi
- Oak Lake · 333 ac · 5 mi
- Hydes Lake · 222 ac · 5.2 mi
- Parley Lake · 258 ac · 5.4 mi
- Reitz Lake · 92 ac · 5.7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Goose Lake?
Goose Lake reaches 10 ft at its deepest point; about 98% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Goose Lake?
Goose Lake covers 302 acres with about 4.9 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Goose Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1995) record largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish.
Is Goose Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Goose Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Goose Lake have a public access?
Yes. Goose Lake has one public access site: Goose Lake/ Hunting access (trailer launch).
When was Goose Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Goose Lake in 1995, the most recent of 2 surveys on record. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
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 Goose Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
Open Goose Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report