Minnesota · Anoka County
Linwood Lake Fishing guide
Linwood Lake sits in Anoka County, Minnesota, and covers 572 acres, reaching 42 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 4.1 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 11 times, most recently in 2021, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Northern pikeGood numbers14.3per gill net20"Typical31"Biggest
Lengths measured · 89 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 89 fish
2021Lengths measured · 28 fish
2015Lengths measured · 80 fish
2009Lengths measured · 76 fish
2004BluegillJust a few24.3per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 313 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 313 fish
2021Lengths measured · 105 fish
2015Lengths measured · 271 fish
2009Lengths measured · 525 fish
2004CrappieJust a few2.7per trap net7"Typical14"Biggest
Lengths measured · 100 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 100 fish
2021Lengths measured · 67 fish
2015Lengths measured · 193 fish
2009Lengths measured · 80 fish
2004Yellow perchFair numbers1.5per gill net5"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 10 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 10 fish
2021Lengths measured · 11 fish
2015Lengths measured · 8 fish
2009Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 83 fish
2004Rates 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 Linwood Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find. On a lake that drops to 42 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
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. On a lake that drops to 42 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 | Northern pike | Walleye | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 31" | 21" | 13" |
| 2015 | 29" | 16" | 17" |
| 2009 | 36" | 27" | 10" |
| 2004 | 36" | 20" | 17" |
| 1999 | 33" | 22" | 17" |
| 1994 | 30" | 19" | 5" |
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:
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
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
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 | 119,185 fry |
| 2024 | Walleye | 119,000 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 486,415 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 475,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 475,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 2,230,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 480,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 475,000 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 950,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2021 survey
Linwood Lake is a 572 acre, class 38 lake (max depth 42 feet) located in northeastern Anoka County. Linwood Lake is located west of Wyoming, MN in Anoka County. Much of the lake's shoreline is developed with up-dated seasonal residences now occupied year around. Approximately 1/3 of the shoreline is undeveloped and included in Linwood-Martin Lake Regional Park operated by Anoka County Parks. A county park with double boat ramps is located on the northeast shore of the lake. Aquatic vegetation is diverse, with 36 species identified, 20 emergent, and 16 submergent. Maximum depth that submergent vegetation was found in 1999 was 6.0'. Linwood Lake is primarily managed for Walleye and Bluegill are a secondary management species. Fairly low water levels due to statewide drought conditions were found at Linwood Lake during the survey. Several trap net set locations had to be moved from designated areas due to low water. The low water conditions may have contributed to the relatively low catch rates of fish trap netting is designed for.
Walleyes were sampled at a rate of 0.17/gillnet, which is below average for lakes like Linwood. This was the lowest catch for Walleye since 1985 when no Walleyes were sampled. Northern Pike were sampled at a rate of 14.33/gillnet, which is considerably above average for similar lakes. The average size Northern Pike sampled in the survey was 21.5 inches long. Bluegill abundance was slightly above average in trap nets 24.3 fish/net, and the average size Bluegill sampled in trap nets was 6.4 inches, with fish over 8 inches present. Black Crappies were sampled in above average abundance in gill nets at 13.3 fish/net and marginally below average in trap nets at 2.71/set in 2021. The average size of Black Crappies sampled in 2021 was 7.3 inches, with fish up to 14.7 inches. Yellow Perch were sampled at 1.5/gill net in 2021 and 1.43/gill net in 2015, both of which are considerably below average for lakes like Linwood. Yellow and Black Bullheads were sampled in average and below average abundances at 1.50/gillnet and 3.67/gill net respectively. Bowfin were sampled in average abundance at 0.29/trap net. Other fish sampled in low abundances were Pumpkinseed, Green and Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Common Carp and Golden shiner.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Linwood Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Linwood 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
- Linwood Lake (trailer launch)
- Linwood Lake Breakwater Fishing Site (shore fishing)
DNR bathymetry
Linwood Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Martin Lake · 232 ac · 2.6 mi
- Coon Lake · 1,481 ac · 4 mi
- Typo Lake · 298 ac · 4.5 mi
- Fish Lake · 334 ac · 4.7 mi
- Comfort Lake · 218 ac · 8.1 mi
- Clear Lake · 429 ac · 8.3 mi
- Ham Lake · 155 ac · 8.5 mi
- Forest Lake · 2,271 ac · 9.6 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Linwood Lake?
Linwood Lake reaches 42 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 11 ft; about 83% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Linwood Lake?
Linwood Lake covers 572 acres with about 4.5 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Linwood Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Linwood Lake average 4.1 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Linwood Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2021) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Linwood Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Linwood Lake have a public access?
Yes. Linwood Lake has 2 public access sites, including Linwood Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Linwood Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 31"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1994.
When was Linwood Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Linwood Lake in 2021, the most recent of 11 surveys on record.
Page updated .
Featured guide spot
Your guide service here
One featured guide per lake, with your photo, your writeup and a link straight to your booking page. Free through December 31, 2026.
Then $20 a month from January. Cancel any time.
The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Linwood Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
Open Linwood Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report