Minnesota · St. Louis County
Leora Lake Fishing guide
Leora Lake sits in St. Louis County, Minnesota, and covers 263 acres, reaching 35 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 9.8 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 6 times, most recently in 2021, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2024Good numbers5.2per gill net18"Typical22"Biggest
Lengths measured · 27 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 27 fish
2021Lengths measured · 28 fish
2011Lengths measured · 55 fish
2003Lengths measured · 30 fish
1998Largemouth bassFair numbers40.5per hr (electrofishing)11"Typical20"Biggest
Lengths measured · 53 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 53 fish
2021Lengths measured · 50 fish
2011Lengths measured · 30 fish
2003Lengths measured · 11 fish
1998Northern pikeJust a few3.4per gill net24"Typical43"Biggest
Lengths measured · 22 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 22 fish
2021Lengths measured · 53 fish
2011Lengths measured · 67 fish
2003Lengths measured · 40 fish
1998BluegillJust a few4.6per trap net4"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 44 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 44 fish
2021Lengths measured · 198 fish
2011Lengths measured · 43 fish
2003Lengths measured · 55 fish
1998CrappieJust a few2.4per trap net7"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 32 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 32 fish
2021Lengths measured · 30 fish
2011Lengths measured · 64 fish
2003Lengths measured · 34 fish
1998Yellow perchGood numbers6per gill net6"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 31 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 31 fish
2021Lengths measured · 13 fish
2011Lengths measured · 2 fish
2003Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 11 fish
1998Rates 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 Leora 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.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
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.
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 | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 22" | 20" | 43" |
| 2011 | 24" | 17" | 32" |
| 2003 | 24" | 17" | 38" |
| 1998 | 25" | 16" | 39" |
| 1993 | 25" | 20" | 23" |
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
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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | 1,650 fingerlings |
| 2022 | Walleye | 1,391 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 3,735 fingerlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 1,584 fingerlings |
| 2016 | Walleye | 3,598 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2021 survey
Leora Lake is a 263-acre lake with 110 (42%) littoral acres and a maximum depth of 35 feet. The lake is located east of Highway 53, near Cotton, MN. Leora Lake has a concrete, back in public access on the south side of the lake directly off of CR #49. Primary management species are Walleye and Largemouth Bass. Walleye fingerlings have been stocked in even years since 2000. Leora was last assessed in 2011. Leora was surveyed during the summer of 2021 to update information about fish populations and to evaluate the success of the Walleye stocking program.
Walleye abundance of 5.2 per gillnet lift was up from 2011 (4.0) and average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Walleye average length was 18.1 inches and growth was average when compared to other Duluth Area lakes. The proportion of adult Walleye that exceeded quality size (greater than 15 inches) was 94%, while the proportion that exceeded preferred size (greater than 20 inches) was 10%. Four year-classes were present from 2010 through 2018, with a strong 2016 year-class. One-hundred percent of the Walleyes aged corresponded to stocked year-classes, with the 2016 year-class currently offering very good Walleye angling opportunities in Leora Lake.
Read the full DNR narrative
A total of 44 Largemouth Bass were sampled with electrofishing equipment. The catch rate of Largemouth Bass was 40.5 fish per hour of electrofishing on-time. Largemouth Bass average length was 11.6 inches and growth was below average compared to other Duluth Area lakes. The proportion of adult Largemouth Bass that exceeded quality size (greater than 12 inches) was 53%, while the proportion that exceeded preferred size (greater than 15 inches) was 17%. The proportion that exceeded memorable size (greater than 20 inches) was 3%.
Leora also offers quality angling opportunities for Northern Pike. Northern Pike abundance of 3.4 per gillnet lift was down from 2011 (6.5) and average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Average length was 26.7 inches and growth was average compared to other Duluth Area lakes. The proportion of adult Northern Pike that exceeded quality size (greater than 21 inches) was 94%, while the proportion that exceeded preferred size (greater than 28 inches) was 17%. The proportion that exceeded memorable size (greater than 34 inches) was 11%.
Panfish in Leora are in average abundance but tend to run small in size. Black Crappie abundance of 2.8 per gillnet lift was up from 2011 (0.7) and was average when compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Black Crappie mean length was 8.0 inches and growth was average compared to other Duluth Area lakes.
Bluegill abundance of 4.6 per trapnet lift was down from 2011 (8.8) and average when compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Average length of Bluegills was 4.6 inches and growth was slow compared to other Duluth Area lakes.
Yellow Perch abundance of 6.0 per gillnet lift was up from 2011 (0.3) and was average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Average length of Yellow Perch was 6.5 inches.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Leora Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Leora 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
- Leora (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Leora Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Strand Lake · 330 ac · 2.9 mi
- Little Long Lake · 18 ac · 5.7 mi
- Long Lake · 199 ac · 6.2 mi
- Nichols Lake · 419 ac · 6.4 mi
- Cameron Lake · 168 ac · 7.5 mi
- Wilson Lake · 56 ac · 7.7 mi
- Schubert Lake · 212 ac · 7.7 mi
- Dinham Lake · 202 ac · 8.5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Leora Lake?
Leora Lake reaches 35 ft at its deepest point; about 42% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Leora Lake?
Leora Lake covers 263 acres with about 2.8 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Leora Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Leora Lake average 9.8 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Leora Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2021) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Leora Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Leora Lake have a public access?
Yes. Leora Lake has one public access site: Leora (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Leora Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 22"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1993.
When was Leora Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Leora Lake in 2021, the most recent of 6 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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