Minnesota · Murray County
Lime Lake Fishing guide
Lime Lake is a 326-acre lake in Murray County, Minnesota, reaching 7 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 0.7 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 8 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Northern pikeLast stocked 2025Present, stocked6.1per trap net22"Typical32"Biggest
Lengths measured · 67 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 67 fish
2025Lengths measured · 5 fish
2019Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 11 fish
2013Lengths measured · 31 fish
2007Rates 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 Lime Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 0.7 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 7-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 0.7 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 7-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 | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15" | 11" | 32" |
| 2019 | — | — | 28" |
| 2013 | 16" | — | 25" |
| 2007 | — | — | 27" |
| 2001 | — | — | 33" |
| 1997 | — | — | 36" |
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 · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Inline Spinner (Mepps/Blue Fox)
#2–#4 in-line spinner
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 | Northern Pike | 592 fingerlings |
| 2024 | Northern Pike | 657 fingerlings |
| 2023 | Northern Pike | 280 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Northern Pike | 250 adults |
| 2017 | Northern Pike | 380 fingerlings |
| 2016 | Northern Pike | 748 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Lime Lake is a shallow 316-acre lake adjacent to the City of Avoca in Murray County. Due to its shallowness (maximum depth of 5.0 ft.), Lime Lake has been highly vulnerable to winterkill. Historically, Lime Lake has been managed as a Northern Pike and Yellow Perch fishery because of the extensive network of wetlands that were connected upstream of the lake (Big Slough), which provided ideal spawning areas for Northern Pike, and because these species tend to have a higher tolerance of hypoxic conditions during winter. Primary management species include Northern Pike and secondary management species include Yellow Perch. A targeted survey was conducted during the week of May 27, 2025 to monitor fish populations using 11 trap nets.
Northern Pike catch rates have averaged 2.1 per trap net since 1987. Prior to 2025, the highest Northern Pike catch rate was 3.1 per trap net in 2007. In 2025, the catch rate of Northern Pike was 6.1 per trap net, greatly exceeding historical catch rates in Lime Lake. Lengths of Northern Pike ranged from 15.3 to 32.8 inches and averaged 22.3 inches (PSD=57, PSD-P=14). Condition of Northern Pike was high (Wr=96), indicating that forage is available. From 2023-2025, DNR has stocked close to 5 Fall fingerlings Northern Pike per acre which is likely a driving reason behind the high catch rate in trap nets. It is possible that the Big Slough/Badger lakes wetland complex could provide additional fish through natural reproduction and emigration as well. Either way we suspect the increase in catch rate is a byproduct of increased recruitment to the population. Historically, brood fish collection has been done by the dam at Big Slough, however this depends on the amount of precipitation there is to maintain flow into Lime Lake. The management goal was met because the catch rate exceeded 1.5 per trap net.
Read the full DNR narrative
The Yellow Perch catch rate increased from 0.2 per trap net in 2019 to 0.8 per trap net in 2025, within the expected range of catch rates for class 43 lakes (0.3 to 3.8 per trap net). Yellow Perch lengths ranged from 7.6 to 12.6 inches and averaged 10.0 inches. The management goal was met. Other species sampled included Bigmouth Buffalo (1.4 per trap net), Black Bullhead (76.2 per trap net), Black Crappie (0.3 per trap net), Bluegill ( 0.4 per trap net), Common Carp (4.5 per trap net), Largemouth Bass ( 0.1 per trap net), Quillback (2.3 per trap net), Tadpole Madtom (0.1 per trap net), Walleye (0.1 per trap net), Yellow Bullhead (N=0.1 per trap net),and White Sucker (1.3 per trap net).
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Lime Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Lime 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
- Lime Lake (NE) (trailer launch)
- Lime Lake (S) (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Lime Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- First Fulda Lake · 123 ac · 7.2 mi
- Corabelle Lake · 106 ac · 8.5 mi
- Louisa Lake · 230 ac · 9.8 mi
- Buffalo Lake · 127 ac · 9.8 mi
- Summit Lake · 78 ac · 10.2 mi
- Talcot Lake · 873 ac · 11.7 mi
- Kinbrae Lake · 98 ac · 12.4 mi
- West Graham Lake · 519 ac · 12.6 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Lime Lake?
Lime Lake reaches 7 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Lime Lake?
Lime Lake covers 326 acres with about 4.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Lime Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Lime Lake average 0.7 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Lime Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish.
Is Lime Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked northern pike in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Lime Lake have a public access?
Yes. Lime Lake has 2 public access sites, including Lime Lake (NE) (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Lime Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 15"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1997.
When was Lime Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Lime Lake in 2025, the most recent of 8 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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