Minnesota · Cass County
Lawrence Lake Fishing guide
Lawrence Lake covers 225 acres in Cass County, Minnesota, reaching 71 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 11.3 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 8 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeFair numbers1.8per gill net17"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 25 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 2 fish
2023Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 23 fish
2022Lengths measured · 5 fish
2012Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 24 fish
2006Largemouth bassGood numbers61.8per hr (electrofishing)12"Typical17"Biggest
Lengths measured · 83 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 4 fish
2023Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 79 fish
2022Lengths measured · 2 fish
2012Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 13 fish
2006Northern pikeJust a few3.8per gill net24"Typical33"Biggest
Lengths measured · 27 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 2 fish
2023Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 25 fish
2022Lengths measured · 31 fish
2012Lengths measured · 16 fish
2006BluegillJust a few15.8per trap net5"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 367 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 158 fish
2023Lengths measured · 209 fish
2022Lengths measured · 18 fish
2012Lengths measured · 263 fish
2006CrappieJust a few2.1per trap net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 68 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 19 fish
2023Lengths measured · 49 fish
2022Lengths measured · 30 fish
2012Lengths measured · 24 fish
2006Yellow perchFair numbers3.7per gill net5"Typical6"Biggest
Lengths measured · 24 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2023Lengths measured · 1 fish
2023Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 23 fish
2022Lengths measured · 6 fish
2006Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
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 Lawrence Lake 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. At 11.3 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. On a lake that drops to 71 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- 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. At 11.3 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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 71 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 16" | 17" | 23" |
| 2022 | 17" | 26" | 33" |
| 2012 | 10" | 28" | 36" |
| 2006 | 14" | 25" | 37" |
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 · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
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
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 2023 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Lawrence Lake was conducted on June 13-15, 2023, 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, but one station was sampled from the boat due soft sediments. A 50-foot seine was used to sample six stations, a 15-foot seine was used at two stations, and site conditions prevented the use of seines at two stations. Nearshore sampling captured twenty species of fish including seven species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, Least Darter, Mimic Shiner, Northern Sunfish, and Rock Bass) 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 12 species of fish, including one that is intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Rock Bass). Bluegill and Pumpkinseed sunfish comprised a majority of the catch by number, whereas Bluegill and Bowfin comprised a majority by biomass.
Read the full DNR narrative
The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from August 2022 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., Black Bullhead and Green Sunfish). 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.
Results from this survey indicate that the fish community in Lawrence Lake is healthy as indicated by an exceptionally high FIBI score well above the impairment threshold determined for similar lakes. These 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.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Lawrence Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Lawrence 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
- Lawrence Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Lawrence Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Leavitt Lake · 122 ac · 1.3 mi
- Smokey Hollow Lake · 126 ac · 1.5 mi
- Roosevelt Lake · 1,511 ac · 1.6 mi
- Morrison Lake · 164 ac · 2.4 mi
- Margaret Lake · 18 ac · 3.4 mi
- Marion Lake · 12 ac · 3.4 mi
- Allen Lake · 45 ac · 3.6 mi
- Little Andrus Lake · 27 ac · 3.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Lawrence Lake?
Lawrence Lake reaches 71 ft at its deepest point; about 39% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Lawrence Lake?
Lawrence Lake covers 225 acres with about 4.6 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Lawrence Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Lawrence Lake average 11.3 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Lawrence Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Lawrence Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Lawrence Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Lawrence Lake have a public access?
Yes. Lawrence Lake has one public access site: Lawrence Lake (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Lawrence Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 17"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2006.
When was Lawrence Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Lawrence Lake in 2023, the most recent of 8 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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