Minnesota · Kanabec County
Knife Lake Fishing guide
Knife Lake covers 1,259 acres in Kanabec County, Minnesota, reaching 15 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 2.4 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 22 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Excellent numbers9.7per gill net17"Typical30"Biggest
Lengths measured · 2132 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024 + 2025Lengths measured · 176 fish
2025Lengths measured · 248 fish
2025Lengths measured · 1275 fish
2025Lengths measured · 324 fish
2024Largemouth bassGood numbers59.6per hr (electrofishing)9"Typical16"Biggest
Lengths measured · 231 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 207 fish
2025Lengths measured · 24 fish
2022Lengths measured · 52 fish
2019Lengths measured · 143 fish
2015Northern pikeJust a few2.1per gill net24"Typical35"Biggest
Lengths measured · 66 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 44 fish
2025Lengths measured · 22 fish
2022Lengths measured · 38 fish
2019Lengths measured · 332 fish
2015BluegillJust a few6.6per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 243 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 173 fish
2025Lengths measured · 70 fish
2022Lengths measured · 378 fish
2019Lengths measured · 3586 fish
2015CrappieJust a few8.4per trap net9"Typical13"Biggest
Lengths measured · 293 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 168 fish
2025Lengths measured · 125 fish
2022Lengths measured · 88 fish
2019Lengths measured · 1645 fish
2015Yellow perchExcellent numbers14.3per gill net7"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 349 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 255 fish
2025Lengths measured · 94 fish
2022Lengths measured · 367 fish
2019Lengths measured · 1690 fish
2015No 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 Knife Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 2.4 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows. A 15-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. In 2.4 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze. A 15-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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 | Smallmouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 27" | 16" | — |
| 2024 | 30" | — | — |
| 2023 | 11" | — | — |
| 2022 | 25" | 16" | — |
| 2019 | 25" | 19" | 13" |
| 2015 | 28" | 20" | 16" |
| 2011 | 29" | 18" | 18" |
| 2006 | 27" | 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 · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Jigs & bladed
Skirted Casting Jig + Craw Trailer
3.5–4" craw-style trailer on a skirted casting/flipping jig
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Ned Rig
2.75" finesse stickbait or craw-style Ned 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 | 315,000 fry |
| 2024 | Walleye | 315,000 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 315,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Knife Lake is a 1,266-acre lake located six miles to the north of Mora in Kanabec County and is within the Snake River Watershed. The lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet and an average depth of 9 feet. It is 100% littoral (15 feet or less). Water clarity is generally low due to frequent algae blooms, with Secchi depths near 2 feet. The Knife River enters Knife Lake on the southwest side and exits the lake to the south, flowing into the Snake River 5 miles downstream. Submergent and floating leaf vegetation is generally dense in depths up to 7 feet. Invasive species present include Curlyleaf Pondweed, Eurasian Watermilfoil, and Faucet Snails. Substrates consist primarily of sand, with some gravel and muck. There are two public boat accesses, one on the south side and one on the east side off of Highway 65. The south access accommodates 8 vehicles with trailers and is a gravel parking lot. The access on Highway 65 is paved and accommodates 15 trucks and trailers.
Including the initial survey in 1949, twenty-five fish surveys have been completed to monitor changes in species composition, number, and length distribution. More recent surveys have occurred in 2015, 2019, 2022, and 2025. Gamefish species that are best suited for the lake include Walleye, Northern Pike, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, and Yellow Perch.
Read the full DNR narrative
Walleye have a Special Regulation on Knife Lake, with an 18-to-24-inch protected slot, statewide possession of 6, only 1 of which can be over 24-inches. A total of 139 Walleyes were sampled in gill nets in 2025, which resulted in a catch rate of 11.6/net. This is similar to the average of 12.2/net, but the highest catch rates observed since 1998. Past catch rates ranged from 0.5/net in 1985 to 47.0/net in 1991. Lengths of Walleye caught in 2025 ranged from 6.5 to 26.6 inches and averaged 13.5 inches. Twenty inch Walleye have been sampled in the last 9 consecutive surveys, while 25-inch Walleye have been sampled in 5 of the past 9 surveys. Overall, anglers that fish Knife Lake for Walleye can expect to catch good numbers of 12 to 15-inch fish with a chance of catching one over 20 inches.
Northern Pike have a Special Regulation on Knife Lake, with a 24-to-36-inch protected slot, possession of 3, only 1 of which can be over 36-inches. A total of 39 Northern Pike were sampled in gill nets in 2025, which resulted in a catch rate of 3.3/net. This is similar to the average of 3.5/net. Past catch rates ranged from 0.0/net in 1990 and 1991 to 11.3/net in 1981. Research indicates pike catch rates over 7.5/net are undesirable, as they are usually associated with higher density populations having poor size structure and slow growth. Higher pike densities can also have detrimental effects on stocked Walleye survival and perch populations. Perch are often a primary prey species. Therefore, pike densities in Knife Lake are optimal. Lengths of pike caught in 2025 ranged from 17.0 to 35.3 inches and averaged 24.8 inches. The largest pike sampled was a 41.5 inch fish in 2011. Twenty-eight inch pike have been sampled in the last 8 consecutive surveys, while pike over 34 inches have been sampled in 5 of the past 8 surveys. Overall, anglers that fish Knife Lake for pike can expect to catch lower numbers of medium to large sized pike, with a chance of catching one over 34 inches.
A total of 46 Black Crappie were sampled in gill nets in 2025 while 122 were sampled in trap nets. The gill net catch was 3.8/net in 2025 and compares to the average of 15.4/net. The trap net catch was 11.1/net in 2025 and compares to the average of 8.0/net. Gill nets have consistently sampled crappies at a higher rate than trap nets in Knife Lake. Crappie ranged in length from 4.3 to 13.4 inches and had an average length of 9.0 inches for both gears. Crappie over ten inches have been sampled in all nine of the most recent surveys, while crappies over 12 inches have been sampled in five of nine surveys. Overall, anglers that fish Knife Lake for crappies can expect to catch average numbers of 8 to 10 inch crappies, with a chance of catching one over 12 inches.
A total of 107 Bluegill were sampled in trap nets in 2025, which resulted in a catch rate of 9.7/net. This is similar to the average of 10.5/net. Catch rates have varied from 1.0/net in 1949 to 32.2/net in 1994. Lengths ranged from 3.3 to 9.8 inches and averaged 6.6 inches. Bluegills over 8 inches have been sampled in 7 of the previous 9 surveys in trap nets. Bluegill over 10 inches were sampled in gill nets in 1979, 2011, and 2019. In 2011, a 12.2-inch Bluegill was sampled. Anglers targeting Bluegill on Knife Lake can expect to catch average numbers of 6 to 8 inch fish.
Nighttime electrofishing surveys to evaluate Largemouth Bass relative abundance and size structure were conducted in June of 2025 for the eleventh survey. A total of 202 were caught in 2025 for a catch rate of 135/hour. This was the second highest recorded catch rate for Knife Lake and exceeded the lake average of 74/hour. Catch rates have varied from 18/hour in 2022 to 136/hour in 1993. In 2025, bass ranged from 3.6 to 16.9 inches and had a 10.0 inch average. Bass over 20 inches have never been sampled. Currently, anglers can expect to catch high numbers of bass from 8 to 16 inches.
Yellow Perch catch rates continue to remain high compared to area lakes. A total of 250 perch were sampled in gill nets in 2025. Perch gill net catch rates were 20.8/net in 2025, which compares with the average of 25.4/net. Catch rates have varied from 0.0/net in 1990 to 56.0/ net in 1970. Lengths ranged from 5.5 to 10.3 inches and averaged 7.8 inches. Perch over 8 inches have been sampled in 8 of the last 9 surveys, while perch over 10 inches have been sampled in 5 of the past 10 surveys. At times, harvestable sized perch are available for anglers. The current perch population and its average size is likely too low and small to interest anglers; however, they can be an important prey source for most gamefish targeted by anglers.
Additional species sampled include Black Bullhead, Brown Bullhead, Central Mudminnow, Green Sunfish, Golden Redhorse, Golden Shiner, Greater Redhorse, Hybrid Sunfish, Iowa Darter, Johnny Darter, Logperch, Northern Hogsucker, Northern Redbelly Dace, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass, Shorthead Redhorse, Tadpole Madtom, Yellow Bullhead, and White Sucker.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Knife Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Knife 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
- Knife Lake (NE) (trailer launch)
- Knife Lake (S) (trailer launch)
- Knife Lake Fishing Pier (fishing pier)
DNR bathymetry
Knife Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Ann Lake · 654 ac · 6.2 mi
- Pomroy Lake · 412 ac · 6.7 mi
- Quamba Lake · 226 ac · 8.1 mi
- Fish Lake · 506 ac · 9.7 mi
- Devils Lake · 59 ac · 11.2 mi
- Five Lake · 44 ac · 14.2 mi
- Pokegama Lake · 1,522 ac · 15.4 mi
- Eleven Lake · 315 ac · 15.5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Knife Lake?
Knife Lake reaches 15 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 9.1 ft; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Knife Lake?
Knife Lake covers 1,259 acres with about 18.2 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Knife Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Knife Lake average 2.4 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Knife Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass, channel catfish.
Is Knife Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2023.
Does Knife Lake have a public access?
Yes. Knife Lake has 3 public access sites, including Knife Lake (NE) (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Knife Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 30"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2006.
When was Knife Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Knife Lake in 2025, the most recent of 22 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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