Minnesota · Crow Wing County
Kego Lake Fishing guide
Kego Lake is a 296-acre lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, reaching 20 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 11.8 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 8 times, most recently in 2024, with largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and crappie in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassFair numbers36.6per hr (electrofishing)13"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 32 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2024Lengths measured · 2 fish
2024Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 30 fish
2023Lengths measured · 5 fish
2014Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 37 fish
2003Northern pikeGood numbers13per gill net23"Typical39"Biggest
Lengths measured · 84 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2024Lengths measured · 3 fish
2024Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 81 fish
2023Lengths measured · 66 fish
2014Lengths measured · 109 fish
2003BluegillJust a few10.2per trap net7"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 220 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2024Lengths measured · 46 fish
2024Lengths measured · 174 fish
2023Lengths measured · 320 fish
2014Lengths measured · 167 fish
2003CrappieJust a few3.1per trap net8"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 75 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2024Lengths measured · 34 fish
2024Lengths measured · 41 fish
2023Lengths measured · 84 fish
2014Lengths measured · 82 fish
2003Yellow perchGood numbers5.2per gill net6"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 40 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2024Lengths measured · 4 fish
2024Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 36 fish
2023Lengths measured · 134 fish
2014Lengths measured · 368 fish
2003Rates 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 Kego Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 11.8 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.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. At 11.8 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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.
- 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 | Northern pike | Largemouth bass | Yellow perch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 22" | 15" | 6" |
| 2023 | 39" | 18" | 7" |
| 2014 | 37" | 16" | 8" |
| 2003 | 33" | 18" | 9" |
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:
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 · 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
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Yellow perch · Live bait
Slip Bobber + Leech
jumbo or large leech
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 2024 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Kego Lake was conducted on August 5-6, 2024, 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 ten sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample four stations, and a 15-foot seine was used at four stations. Two stations were not seined due to dense lilies and soft substrate. Nearshore sampling captured 17 species of fish including three species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, and Iowa Darter) and one that is tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Green Sunfish).
A concurrent summer trap net survey was also conducted by IBI Program staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline in locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Trap net sampling captured nine species of fish but none that are intolerant of disturbance. Bluegill and Black Crappie comprised a majority of the catch by number, whereas Bluegill, Black Crappie, Northern Pike, and Yellow Bullhead comprised a majority by biomass.
Read the full DNR narrative
The nearshore and trap net were combined with gill net data from a June 2023 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., Green Sunfish and Common Carp). 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.
In addition to fish sampling, IBI Program staff conducted an assessment of lakeshore habitat on Kego Lake on June 13, 2024, following the Score the Shore survey protocols. The assessment consisted of 33 survey sites evenly spaced every 200 meters around the lake. Assessments were made in three habitat zones: the shoreline zone (i.e., the shore-water interface to the top of the natural bank), the shoreland zone (i.e., land-ward from the shoreline to developed structure or 100 feet), and the aquatic zone (i.e., lake-ward 50 feet from the shoreline). The average lakewide habitat score was 81.9 (+/- 2.2) out of 100 possible. A score of 81.9 indicates the lakewide shoreline condition is moderately high (80-84.9). Approximately 27 percent of the sites were developed, with a mean score of 70.9 (+/- 4.9) indicating shoreline habitat quality of developed sites is moderate (70-79.9), while undeveloped sites had a mean score of 86.0 (+/- 1.9) with high (85-91.9) habitat quality.
Results from this survey provide evidence that the fish community and lakeshore habitat in Kego Lake are healthy as indicated by an FIBI score above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes and a moderately high habitat score. The FIBI results are similar to previous findings, which indicated that Kego Lake is fully supporting aquatic life. The survey results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Pine River Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. You can help protect the fish community in Kego Lake by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Kego Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Kego 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
- Kego Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Kego Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- West Fox Lake · 449 ac · 1.7 mi
- East Fox Lake · 241 ac · 1.8 mi
- Mitchell Lake · 429 ac · 1.9 mi
- Eagle Lake · 350 ac · 1.9 mi
- Butterfield Lake · 194 ac · 3.2 mi
- Ox Lake · 241 ac · 4.2 mi
- Blue Lake · 177 ac · 4.3 mi
- Little Pine Lake · 330 ac · 4.6 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Kego Lake?
Kego Lake reaches 20 ft at its deepest point; about 57% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Kego Lake?
Kego Lake covers 296 acres with about 4.2 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Kego Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Kego Lake average 11.8 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Kego Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Kego Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Kego Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Kego Lake have a public access?
Yes. Kego Lake has one public access site: Kego Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Kego Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 39"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2003.
When was Kego Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Kego Lake in 2024, the most recent of 8 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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