Minnesota · Itasca County
Grave Lake Fishing guide
Grave Lake is a 525-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota, reaching 39 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 10.2 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 18 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers2.1per gill net18"Typical23"Biggest
Lengths measured · 20 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2023Lengths measured · 1 fish
2023Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 19 fish
2021Lengths measured · 42 fish
2014Lengths measured · 44 fish
2007Northern pikeFair numbers7.9per gill net18"Typical33"Biggest
Lengths measured · 85 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 10 fish
2023Lengths measured · 4 fish
2022Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 71 fish
2021Lengths measured · 97 fish
2014BluegillJust a few15.8per trap net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 607 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 164 fish
2023Lengths measured · 120 fish
2022Lengths measured · 89 fish
2021Lengths measured · 234 fish
2021CrappieJust a few0.6per trap net9"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 30 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 4 fish
2023Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 6 fish
2022Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 20 fish
2021Lengths measured · 26 fish
2014Yellow perchExcellent numbers18.6per gill net6"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 216 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 32 fish
2023Lengths measured · 17 fish
2022Lengths measured · 167 fish
2021Lengths measured · 142 fish
2014Rock bassGood numbers1.4per gill net8"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 23 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 5 fish
2023Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 5 fish
2022Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 13 fish
2021Lengths measured · 9 fish
2014Only 9 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 Grave Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 10.2 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 10.2 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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.
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 | Northern pike | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 13" | 19" | 18" |
| 2022 | — | 22" | 17" |
| 2021 | 23" | 33" | 6" |
| 2014 | 23" | 35" | 18" |
| 2007 | 26" | 29" | 16" |
| 2000 | 24" | 27" | 19" |
| 1994 | 23" | 26" | 17" |
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
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Inline Spinner (Mepps/Blue Fox)
#2–#4 in-line spinner
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
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 | 228,000 fry |
| 2024 | Walleye | 328,000 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 228,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 228,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 228,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 228,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 228,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 251,000 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 228,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2023 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Grave Lake was conducted on July 11-13, 2023, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 14 sampling stations, but three stations were sampled from the boat due to site conditions. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample 10 stations, a 15-foot seine was used to sample one station, and site conditions prevented the use of a seine at three stations. Nearshore sampling captured 20 species of fish including six species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Mottled Sculpin, and Rock Bass) and one species that is tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Black Bullhead).
A concurrent summer trap net survey was also conducted by IBI Program Staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline and in shallow offshore locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Bluegill comprised a majority of the trap net catch by number and Bluegill and Bowfin catch by biomass. The number of Bluegill sampled per net was above the 25% quartile for similar Lake Class 25 lakes and the average length was 5.3 inches, with 18% over 7 inches.
Read the full DNR narrative
The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from an August 2021 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Black Bullhead, Fathead Minnow, and Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.
Data from this survey indicates Grave Lake is in good health as indicated by an exceptionally high FIBI score well above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. These results are similar to previous survey findings, which indicated that Grave Lake is an exceptional lake. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Big Fork River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.
IBI Program staff also conducted an assessment of lakeshore habitat on May 26, 2023, following the Score the Shore survey protocols. The assessment consisted of 62 survey sites evenly spaced 100 meters around the lake. Assessments were made in three habitat zones: Shoreline Zone (the shore-water interface to the top of the natural bank), Shoreland Zone (land-ward from shoreline to development structure or 100 feet), and Aquatic Zone (lake-ward 50 feet of shoreline). The average lakewide habitat score was 88.1 (+/- 1.8) out of 100 possible. Approximately 30 percent of the sites were developed with a mean score of 79.0 (+/- 4.5), while undeveloped sites had a mean score of 92.1 (+/- 1.3).
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Grave Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Grave 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
- Public access: East bay in the north basin
DNR bathymetry
Grave Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Day Lake · 49 ac · 1.8 mi
- Dead Horse Lake · 105 ac · 2.2 mi
- Caribou Lake · 247 ac · 2.4 mi
- Little Bowstring Lake · 327 ac · 2.6 mi
- Kremer Lake · 78 ac · 3 mi
- North Star Lake · 832 ac · 3.6 mi
- East Smith Lake · 152 ac · 3.9 mi
- Little Long Lake · 305 ac · 4.3 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Grave Lake?
Grave Lake reaches 39 ft at its deepest point; about 58% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Grave Lake?
Grave Lake covers 525 acres with about 7.7 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Grave Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Grave Lake average 10.2 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Grave Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Grave Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Grave Lake have a public access?
Yes. Grave Lake has one public access site: Public access (East bay in the north basin).
How big do walleye get in Grave Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 23"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1994.
When was Grave Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Grave Lake in 2023, the most recent of 18 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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