Minnesota · Pope County
Lake Minnewaska Fishing guide
Lake Minnewaska sits in Pope County, Minnesota, and covers 8,050 acres, reaching 32 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 9.4 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 15 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Good numbers5.7per gill net16"Typical27"Biggest
Lengths measured · 172 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 85 fish
2025Lengths measured · 87 fish
2022Lengths measured · 46 fish
2018Lengths measured · 135 fish
2014Largemouth bassOne of the best around108.5per hr (electrofishing)11"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 392 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 50 fish
2025Lengths measured · 342 fish
2022Lengths measured · 75 fish
2018Lengths measured · 142 fish
2014Smallmouth bassJust a few4.5per hr (electrofishing)15"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 26 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 7 fish
2025Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 19 fish
2022Lengths measured · 29 fish
2018Lengths measured · 22 fish
2014Northern pikeGood numbers13.5per gill net22"Typical36"Biggest
Lengths measured · 417 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 120 fish
2025Lengths measured · 297 fish
2022Lengths measured · 148 fish
2018Lengths measured · 86 fish
2014Last recorded in the 1989 survey and not seen since.
BluegillGood numbers57.5per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 2572 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2023 + 2025Lengths measured · 223 fish
2025Lengths measured · 932 fish
2023Lengths measured · 1417 fish
2022Lengths measured · 696 fish
2018CrappieJust a few2.2per trap net9"Typical13"Biggest
Lengths measured · 95 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2023 + 2025Lengths measured · 16 fish
2025Lengths measured · 46 fish
2023Lengths measured · 33 fish
2022Lengths measured · 16 fish
2018Yellow perchGood numbers10per gill net7"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 315 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 160 fish
2025Lengths measured · 155 fish
2022Lengths measured · 189 fish
2018Lengths measured · 355 fish
2014Rates 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 Lake Minnewaska through the year
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.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
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.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
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 | Largemouth bass | Walleye | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17" | 23" | 36" |
| 2022 | 19" | 27" | 34" |
| 2018 | 16" | 26" | 35" |
| 2014 | 18" | 25" | 40" |
| 2010 | 17" | 27" | 35" |
| 2006 | 18" | 26" | 37" |
| 2002 | 18" | 27" | 35" |
| 1998 | 12" | 26" | 31" |
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:
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
Walleye · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
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 | 3,290,000 fry · 48,521 fingerlings · 367 yearlings · 189 adults |
| 2024 | Walleye | 3,291,000 fry · 31,340 fingerlings |
| 2023 | Walleye | 3,291,000 fry · 40,000 fingerlings |
| 2022 | Walleye | 3,291,000 fry · 40,000 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 3,291,000 fry · 40,000 fingerlings |
| 2020 | Walleye | 40,000 fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 3,348,000 fry · 40,000 fingerlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 3,291,000 fry · 24,800 fingerlings · 9,744 yearlings · 284 adults |
| 2017 | Walleye | 3,291,000 fry · 50,606 fingerlings · 53 yearlings · 527 adults |
| 2016 | Walleye | 3,466,878 fry · 50,168 fingerlings · 134 yearlings · 104 adults |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Lake Minnewaska is an 8,050-acre basin located in central Pope County between the towns of Glenwood and Starbuck. For its size, Minnewaska is relatively shallow. Maximum depth is just 32 feet. Residential development surrounds the entire lake. Lake Minnewaska outflows to Lake Emily via Outlet Creek and lies within the Chippewa River watershed. It is the largest lake within the Glenwood Management Area and is a popular destination for many anglers and recreational boaters in west-central Minnesota. Swimming is also a popular activity during summer months. Municipal swimming beaches are located in Glenwood and Starbuck. Four public accesses are available. Two occur on the northeast side of the lake near Glenwood. The access adjacent to the Glenwood swimming beach is relatively shallow and launching larger boats can be problematic, especially during low water periods. The two remaining accesses are near Starbuck, one in the marina and the other near the swimming beach. A long, shallow sand bar with rocks is located along the north shoreline in the central portion of the lake. Boaters should be cautious when navigating around this area. Lake Minnewaska supports a diverse fish community and offers a wide range of fishing opportunities. This lake is primarily managed for Walleye, with bass, pike, and sunfish being species of secondary management importance.
Lake Minnewaska is a popular destination for many anglers and fishing pressure can be heavy at times, during both open water and winter seasons. To help maintain the quality of this fishery, anglers are encouraged to practice selective harvest. Selective harvest encourages the release of larger fish while allowing the harvest of the more abundant smaller fish for eating. Releasing medium to large fish will ensure that the lake will have enough spawning age fish and should provide anglers with opportunities to catch more large fish in the future.
Read the full DNR narrative
A targeted fisheries survey was completed in 2025 to assess the fish community. Walleye abundance has remained stable in recent years and elevated above survey results from 2018. Survival of small Walleye was greatly diminished following establishment of zebra mussels in 2012 and the resulting increase in water clarity. However, starting in 2019, the Walleye population began experiencing more consistent survival of those small fish. Fall electrofishing results indicated several moderate to strong year classes since 2019. Average size in 2022 was 15.8 inches and 1.6 pounds. The largest Walleye measured just shy of 24 inches. Other gamefishes targeted by anglers include Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Black Crappie, Yellow Perch, and Northern Pike. Bass populations have expanded in recent years. Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass are both abundant and larger bass are relatively common. With the great bass fishing opportunities, Lake Minnewaska is a popular destination for organized bass tournaments. Panfish anglers will likely find good numbers of Bluegill, Black Crappie, and Yellow Perch. Bluegill exceeding 8 inches and Black Crappie exceeding 10 inches are common. Yellow Perch abundance is moderate, and while many are smaller, some fish over 9 inches were sampled. Pumpkinseed and hybrid sunfishes are also commonly caught by panfish anglers. Northern Pike abundance and size structure has increased in recent years. Pike abundance decreased from the last survey, but still remains above average. Mean pike size was 21.9 inches and 2.6 pounds, but larger pike were present. Over 20% of the pike in the survey sample exceeded 26 inches in length with the largest pike measuring 36.2 inches. Anglers are reminded that Northern Pike zone harvest regulations were implemented in 2018. Lake Minnewaska is located within the North-central Zone where anglers can keep up to 10 pike but not more than two can be over 26 inches in length. All pike between 22-26 inches must be immediately released. Anglers are encouraged to harvest the current surplus of pike under 22 inches to help reduce abundance and improve size structure of this population, and to lessen predatory pressure on small Walleyes and Yellow Perch.
Other fish species sampled in the 2025 survey include bullheads, Bigmouth Buffalo, Common Carp, Freshwater Drum (sheepshead), and White Sucker. Black, Brown, and Yellow Bullheads are all present in Lake Minnewaska. Yellow Bullheads are most common. Size structure of these populations is impressive as most bullheads caught in survey nets exceeded 12 inches. Freshwater Drum also tend to be larger individuals and are often caught by anglers.
The next lake survey is tentatively scheduled for 2028. Lake Minnewaska is designated as an infested waterbody due to the presence of Eurasian watermilfoil, zebra mussels, and starry stonewort. For more information regarding aquatic invasive species in Minnesota see the following: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/aquatic/index.html.
Sunfish anglers are reminded that a special regulation was implemented in spring 2022 that reduced the daily bag limit of sunfish from 20 to 10 to help protect and improve sunfish quality in this lake. For more information regarding the Quality Sunfish Initiative see the following: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fish/sunfish/index.html.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Lake Minnewaska fishing reports
Recent reports on Lake Minnewaska 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
- Minnewaska Lake (N) (trailer launch)
- Minnewaska Lake (NE) (trailer launch)
- Minnewaska Lake (NW) (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Lake Minnewaska depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Pelican Lake · 518 ac · 2 mi
- Strandness Lake · 92 ac · 4.1 mi
- Malmedal Lake · 199 ac · 5 mi
- Signalness Lake · 42 ac · 6 mi
- Ann Lake · 370 ac · 6 mi
- Nelson Lake · 293 ac · 6.3 mi
- Lake Reno · 3,809 ac · 8.6 mi
- Amelia Lake · 934 ac · 9.6 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Lake Minnewaska?
Lake Minnewaska reaches 32 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 17 ft; about 41% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Lake Minnewaska?
Lake Minnewaska covers 8,050 acres with about 19.9 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Lake Minnewaska?
DNR Secchi readings on Lake Minnewaska average 9.4 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Lake Minnewaska?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, muskellunge, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish.
Is Lake Minnewaska stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Lake Minnewaska have a public access?
Yes. Lake Minnewaska has 3 public access sites, including Minnewaska Lake (N) (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Lake Minnewaska?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 19"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1998.
When was Lake Minnewaska last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Lake Minnewaska in 2025, the most recent of 15 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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