Minnesota · Itasca County
Little Turtle Lake Fishing guide
Little Turtle Lake sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, and covers 492 acres, reaching 29 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 6.5 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 11 times, most recently in 2020, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets. That survey is 6 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2024Excellent numbers6.1per gill net14"Typical23"Biggest
Lengths measured · 110 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2020Lengths measured · 61 fish
2020Lengths measured · 49 fish
2014Lengths measured · 57 fish
2006Lengths measured · 29 fish
1999Largemouth bassJust a few15.8per hr (electrofishing)15"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 44 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2020Lengths measured · 1 fish
2020Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 16 fish
2020Lengths measured · 27 fish
2014Lengths measured · 6 fish
2006Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Northern pikeFair numbers8.6per gill net20"Typical31"Biggest
Lengths measured · 160 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2020Lengths measured · 61 fish
2020Lengths measured · 99 fish
2014Lengths measured · 114 fish
2006Lengths measured · 120 fish
1999BluegillJust a few4.8per trap net6"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 833 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2019 + 2020Lengths measured · 14 fish
2020Lengths measured · 138 fish
2020Lengths measured · 301 fish
2019Lengths measured · 54 fish
2014CrappieJust a few1.3per trap net9"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 133 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2019 + 2020Lengths measured · 8 fish
2020Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 52 fish
2019Lengths measured · 18 fish
2014Lengths measured · 55 fish
2014Yellow perchExcellent numbers27.7per gill net5"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 499 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2020Lengths measured · 221 fish
2020Lengths measured · 278 fish
2014Lengths measured · 1051 fish
2006Lengths measured · 874 fish
1999Rates 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 Little Turtle 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.
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.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
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 | Northern pike | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 23" | 31" | 18" |
| 2014 | 20" | 29" | 18" |
| 2006 | 25" | 32" | 7" |
| 1999 | 23" | 32" | 5" |
| 1993 | 22" | 32" | 13" |
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 · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
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
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
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 | 9,278 fingerlings |
| 2022 | Walleye | 9,398 fingerlings |
| 2020 | Walleye | 3,616 fingerlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 11,300 fingerlings |
| 2016 | Walleye | 12,294 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2020 survey
The 2015 lake management plan (LMP) indicated Bluegill and Walleye were primary management species while Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike were secondary. The LMP goal was to maintain a Walleye gill-net catch rate at 5.0/net. Only gill nets were used in the 2020 survey. Information from the 2020 spring electrofishing survey for Bluegill and Largemouth Bass are presented in another report.
Northern Pike gill-net catches have ranged from 6.8 fish/net in 2020 to 13.3 fish/net in 1982. The catch in 2020 was the lowest on record but similar to lakes with similar habitat. The sampled fish ranged from 15.1 to 31.9 inches and averaged 21.8 inches. Seven age-classes were estimated with fish from age 1 to 7 represented. Pike averaged 21.7 inches by age 4; which was similar to the statewide average of 20.5 inches. Voluntary release of larger pike is encouraged so those genetics can be passed on to future generations.
Read the full DNR narrative
Walleye have been actively managed for many years. The most recent strategy has been to stock 2 lbs of fall fingerlings/littoral acre (452 lbs) every other year. Gill-net catch rates have ranged from 2.1/net in 1988 to 10.3/net in 1982. The 2020 catch of 6.8 was above average for the lake (5.2/net). The sampled fish ranged from 9.2 to 23.4 inches and averaged 15.1 inches. The five year-classes sampled included fish from 2 to 8 years old. Roughly 90% of the fish were age 2 or 4, both stocked years. Based on the lake habitat only limited natural reproduction is anticipated. Growth was similar to the statewide average with fish averaging 14.7 inches at age 4. The Walleye population likely provides some good angling.
Yellow Perch gill-net catch rates have varied from 24.6 fish/net in 2020 to 112.2 fish/net in 2006. The 2020 catch was the lowest on record yet above average for similar lakes. Perch catches have generally been high with poor size distributions. The sampled fish ranged from 4.1 to 8.5 inches and averaged 6.0 inches. Perch are likely more important as prey for predators like bass, pike and Walleye than they are of interest to anglers.
Tullibee can be difficult to sample because they frequently live suspended over deep water, an area the survey nets were not designed to sample. However, they are important to fish communities as a prey source for large predators. Tullibee gill-net catch rates have ranged from 0.6 fish/net in 2020 to 25.5 fish/net in 1974. The 2020 catch was the lowest on record. The five sampled fish ranged from 13.9 to 14.8 inches and averaged 14.2 inches. It appears only one year-class was sampled based on the length distribution.
Other species sampled included Brown Bullhead, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, White Sucker and Yellow Bullhead.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Little Turtle Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Little Turtle 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
- Little Turtle Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Little Turtle Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Turtle Lake · 2,126 ac · 2.7 mi
- Big Too Much Lake · 292 ac · 2.9 mi
- Jessie Lake · 1,740 ac · 3.1 mi
- Maple Lake · 255 ac · 3.4 mi
- Hatch Lake · 226 ac · 3.7 mi
- Peterson Lake · 163 ac · 4.3 mi
- Little Jessie Lake · 628 ac · 4.5 mi
- Bello Lake · 527 ac · 4.7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Little Turtle Lake?
Little Turtle Lake reaches 29 ft at its deepest point; about 46% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Little Turtle Lake?
Little Turtle Lake covers 492 acres with about 4.4 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Little Turtle Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Little Turtle Lake average 6.5 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Little Turtle Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2020) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Little Turtle Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Little Turtle Lake have a public access?
Yes. Little Turtle Lake has one public access site: Little Turtle Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Little Turtle Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 23"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1993.
When was Little Turtle Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Little Turtle Lake in 2020, the most recent of 11 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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