Minnesota · Clearwater County
Itasca Lake Fishing guide
Itasca Lake sits in Clearwater County, Minnesota, and covers 1,065 acres, reaching 40 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 5.9 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 15 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and muskellunge in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers2.4per gill net19"Typical24"Biggest
Lengths measured · 30 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 30 fish
2025Lengths measured · 47 fish
2020Lengths measured · 53 fish
2015Lengths measured · 78 fish
2010Northern pikeFair numbers6.9per gill net20"Typical29"Biggest
Lengths measured · 91 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 91 fish
2025Lengths measured · 70 fish
2020Lengths measured · 86 fish
2015Lengths measured · 58 fish
2010Last recorded in the 2019 survey and not seen since.
BluegillJust a few20.4per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 2054 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2024 + 2025Lengths measured · 368 fish
2025Lengths measured · 615 fish
2024Lengths measured · 1071 fish
2023Lengths measured · 107 fish
2020CrappieJust a few0.4per trap net6"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 129 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2025Lengths measured · 45 fish
2025Lengths measured · 84 fish
2023Lengths measured · 76 fish
2020Lengths measured · 479 fish
2015Yellow perchOne of the best around33.2per gill net6"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 404 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 404 fish
2025Lengths measured · 368 fish
2020Lengths measured · 804 fish
2015Lengths measured · 402 fish
2010Rates 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 Itasca 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 40 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.
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 40 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 24" | 29" | 17" |
| 2020 | 25" | 32" | 19" |
| 2015 | 29" | 28" | 19" |
| 2010 | 21" | 34" | 4" |
| 2000 | 27" | 29" | 18" |
| 1995 | 30" | 32" | 18" |
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 · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
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.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | 227,000 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 229,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 454,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 454,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 450,900 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Lake Itasca, famously known as the headwaters of the Mississippi River, is a 1,065 acre lake with a diverse fish community. Located within Itasca State Park, the lake receives many visitors and is a popular attraction for a variety of watersports including angling. Fishing pressure in the summer is comprised mostly of tourists visiting the park, but it's also a popular ice fishing lake for local anglers. Besides Walleye, anglers often target Bluegill, Black Crappie, and Yellow Perch. Walleye are stocked in the spring at 1000 fry/littoral-acre on an alternate year frequency. There are also special reduced daily bag limits for sunfish and crappie (5 per day) on Itasca.
Lake Itasca has two public accesses. The main access is located near the swimming beach about a mile and a half south of the north entrance to the park. The second public access is located on the south end of Bear Paw Campground. There is also a public fishing pier on the southeast arm of the lake.
Read the full DNR narrative
Walleye numbers have declined in recent years. During the 2025 standard survey, 29 were captured in gill nets resulting in a catch rate of 2.4 fish/net compared to 43 (3.6 fish/net) in 2020. Walleye lengths averaged 19.8 inches and fish reaching nearly 25 inches were measured.
Northern Pike are plentiful in Itasca and a commonly sought game fish for consumption. A total of 83 were captured in gill nets with lengths reaching nearly 30 inches; however, the majority of pike were under 22 inches. Nevertheless, they provide an excellent angling opportunity as well as excitement for young anglers visiting the lake.
Bluegills are very abundant based on previous spring targeted assessments making sunfish one of the most popular species sought by anglers in Lake Itasca. During the 2025 standard survey, 245 were captured in trap nets equating to a catch rate of over 20 per net. However, there is a shortage of large sized fish. Under 2% of Bluegills captured in trap nets were over 8 inches in length and the largest captured in the survey was 8.9 inches long.
Black Crappie currently appear to be thriving. A total of 40 crappies were captured in gill nets. Typically, summer gill nets fail to catch any number of crappies in similar area lakes due to species habits and net locations during the mid-summer months. Lengths of crappies averaged 7.9 inches with fish exceeding 11 inches present. Black Crappie is another very popular species for anglers fishing Itasca.
Yellow Perch are another highly sought fish species in Itasca and also one of the most abundant. Nearly 400 perch were captured in gill nets with lengths up to 10.8 inches recorded. Approximately 18% were over eight inches in length and 7% were over nine inches. Yellow Perch are also one of the main forage species in the lake.
Muskellunge are present in the lake at moderate densities. They are not stocked or actively managed in Itasca. However, neighboring Elk Lake, which is connected to Itasca via Chambers Creek, is annually stocked with musky fingerlings and allows fish passage under high water conditions which has created a somewhat new musky fishery for the area.
Tullibee (Cisco) were also captured during the 2025 assessments. This cold water species is important to a lake like Itasca because of its exceptionally high nutritional value. Many large predator species like Walleye, Northern Pike, and Muskellunge rely on Tullibee to achieve large sizes. Tullibee are occasionally targeted by anglers but the majority of the fish captured in 2025 were eight to nine inches in length.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Itasca Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Itasca 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
- Lake Itasca (trailer launch)
- Lake Itasca, Bear Paw (trailer launch)
- Lake Itasca, Douglas Lodge (trailer launch)
- Itasca Fishing Pier (fishing pier)
DNR bathymetry
Itasca Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Elk Lake · 303 ac · 1.9 mi
- Mary Lake · 56 ac · 2.4 mi
- Ozawindib Lake · 159 ac · 3.6 mi
- Beauty Lake · 55 ac · 4.9 mi
- Alice Lake · 127 ac · 5.6 mi
- Big LaSalle Lake · 235 ac · 5.7 mi
- Heart Lake · 225 ac · 5.8 mi
- Long Lake · 159 ac · 6.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Itasca Lake?
Itasca Lake reaches 40 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 17.3 ft; about 42% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Itasca Lake?
Itasca Lake covers 1,065 acres with about 14.3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Itasca Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Itasca Lake average 5.9 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Itasca Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, muskellunge, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Itasca Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Itasca Lake have a public access?
Yes. Itasca Lake has 4 public access sites, including Lake Itasca (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Itasca Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 24"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.
When was Itasca Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Itasca Lake in 2025, the most recent of 15 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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