Minnesota · St. Louis County
Iron Chief Complex Lake Fishing guide
Iron Chief Complex Lake is a 207-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota, reaching 262.1 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 5.8 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 1 time, most recently in 2008, with northern pike, bluegill and crappie in the nets. That survey is 18 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
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 Iron Chief Complex 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. On a lake that drops to 262.1 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
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. On a lake that drops to 262.1 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- 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.
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:
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
Crappie · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner jighead
Crappie · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Bluegill · Live bait
Clip-On Bobber + Worm
half to whole garden nightcrawler
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
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 | Lake Trout | 1,250 yearlings |
| 2023 | Lake Trout | 1,150 yearlings |
| 2021 | Lake Trout | 1,240 yearlings |
| 2020 | Lake Trout | 650 yearlings |
| 2019 | Lake Trout | 4,091 yearlings |
| 2018 | Lake Trout | 108 adults |
| 2017 | Lake Trout | 1,095 yearlings · 398 adults |
| 2016 | Lake Trout | 106 adults |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2008 survey
Iron Chief Complex is a series of three abandoned mine pits (now connected) near the town of Buhl. Like most pit lakes, the water is relatively infertile and clear. Rainy and windy weather occasionally loosens sediment from the pit walls causing the water to cloud up temporarily. There is a city-owned public access on the south side of the lake. DNR Fisheries has done no stocking or management of the lake, and the 2008 assessment was the first ever conducted on the pit.
Very few fish were captured in the test nets. Green sunfish was the most numerous species in the standard assessment gears, at 1.2/gill net and 1.2/trap net. These fish were rather small, ranging from 3.7 to 5.6 inches in length. Four rainbow smelt were also captured in the gill nets for a catch rate of 0.7/net.
Read the full DNR narrative
Two small-mesh gill nets specifically designed to sample small fish such as rainbow smelt were also used in this assessment. A total of 32 smelt were captured for a catch rate of 16/net. These fish ranged from 4.6 to 6.3 inches in length.
One northern pike (28.4 inches) was captured in a trap net. This was the only large predator fish sampled. Other fish sampled in low numbers were black bullhead, black crappie, blacknose shiner, bluegill and white sucker. Good water quality characteristics and the presence of a modest population of rainbow smelt appear to make Iron Chief Complex suitable for a cold-water species such as lake trout.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Iron Chief Complex Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Iron Chief Complex 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
- City access: North edge of city of Buhl.
DNR bathymetry
Iron Chief Complex Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Judson Mine Pit · 20 ac · 1 mi
- Kinney Lake · 45 ac · 2.9 mi
- Longyear Lake · 151 ac · 4.3 mi
- McQuade Lake · 173 ac · 5.6 mi
- Carey Lake · 145 ac · 6 mi
- West Two Rivers Reservoir · 967 ac · 6.1 mi
- Mott Pit · 18 ac · 7.5 mi
- Deepwater Lake · 22 ac · 8.5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Iron Chief Complex Lake?
Iron Chief Complex Lake reaches 262.1 ft at its deepest point.
How big is Iron Chief Complex Lake?
Iron Chief Complex Lake covers 207 acres with about 4 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Iron Chief Complex Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Iron Chief Complex Lake average 5.8 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Iron Chief Complex Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2008) record northern pike, bluegill, crappie.
Is Iron Chief Complex Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked lake trout in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Iron Chief Complex Lake have a public access?
Yes. Iron Chief Complex Lake has one public access site: City access (North edge of city of Buhl.).
How big do northern pike get in Iron Chief Complex Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 28".
When was Iron Chief Complex Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Iron Chief Complex Lake in 2008. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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