Minnesota · Becker County
Ice Cracking Lake Fishing guide
Ice Cracking Lake sits in Becker County, Minnesota, and covers 345 acres, reaching 73 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 5 times, most recently in 2004, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 22 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Ice Cracking Lake in 2004. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Walleye
- Largemouth bass
- Northern pike
- Bluegill
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
- Rock bass
How to fish Ice Cracking Lake through the year
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. On a lake that drops to 73 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
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. On a lake that drops to 73 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
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 | Largemouth bass | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 27" | 18" | 30" |
| 1995 | 20" | 15" | 35" |
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
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
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
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 | 7,410 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2004 survey
Ice Cracking Lake is a 331 acre lake located in northeastern Becker County along the east edge of the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge. There is no public access but there is a resort/campground with a privately owned access on the east end of the lake. The lake lies within the boundaries of the White Earth Indian Reservation and the band's biology department is located near the south shore.There is a good mix of fish species present, ranging from coldwater fish like tullibee (cisco) to warmwater fish like brown and yellow bullhead. Popular gamefish species include northern pike, largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, yellow perch, and walleye.Walleye spawning habitat is minimal in this lake and maintaining a fishery requires stocking. The White Earth Biology Department stocks walleye fingerlings regularly. Walleye sampled in 2004 averaged 17.9 inches and 2.3 pounds and gill net catch rates were within the normal range for similar lakes and near the upper end of the historic range for this lake.Northern pike have the potential to grow large in Ice Cracking. The presence of tullibee indicates that there is good dissolved oxygen in the cooler depths of the lake during the heat of summer. Cool, well-oxygenated water is generally regarded as a requirement for pike to grow large. They also have to be allowed to grow big before they are harvested. Pike sampled in test nets averaged 20.7 inches in length and 2.0 pounds. Lengths ranged from 16.2 to 30.9 inches.Crappies also have the potential to grow relatively large in this lake. They were not particularly abundant, but black crappies averaged 11.0 inches and 0.8 pounds each during the 2004 lake survey.Bluegills are present in normal numbers, but the average size of sunfish has steadily declined since the initial lake survey in 1947 when they averaged 8.9 inches. In 2004, bluegills in Ice Cracking Lake averaged 5.0 inches.Anglers are encouraged to release medium and large fish and harvest smaller fish for eating. This not only helps to ensure that spawning age fish are present to sustain the fishery, but also better balances populations and provides more opportunities to catch big fish.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Ice Cracking Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Ice Cracking 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.
DNR bathymetry
Ice Cracking Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Round Lake · 1,094 ac · 1.8 mi
- Waboose Lake · 232 ac · 2.4 mi
- Many Point Lake · 1,701 ac · 4.8 mi
- Winter Lake · 117 ac · 5.1 mi
- Island Lake · 1,180 ac · 5.3 mi
- Little Bemidji Lake · 293 ac · 6 mi
- Shell Lake · 3,147 ac · 6.1 mi
- Elbow Lake · 995 ac · 8.3 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Ice Cracking Lake?
Ice Cracking Lake reaches 73 ft at its deepest point; about 23% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Ice Cracking Lake?
Ice Cracking Lake covers 345 acres with about 3.8 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Ice Cracking Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2004) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Ice Cracking Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025.
When was Ice Cracking Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Ice Cracking Lake in 2004, the most recent of 5 surveys on record. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
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