Minnesota · Itasca County
Little Winnibigoshish Lake Fishing guide
Little Winnibigoshish Lake sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, and covers 1,002 acres, reaching 28 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 8.5 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 7 times, most recently in 2017, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 9 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2021One of the best around12.5per gill net13"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 151 fish
Recent · 2017Lengths measured · 151 fish
2017Lengths measured · 124 fish
2007Lengths measured · 44 fish
2001Lengths measured · 80 fish
1994Northern pikeGood numbers13.9per gill net20"Typical32"Biggest
Lengths measured · 172 fish
Recent · 2017Lengths measured · 172 fish
2017Lengths measured · 291 fish
2007Lengths measured · 100 fish
2001Lengths measured · 56 fish
1994Yellow perchOne of the best around34.8per gill net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 446 fish
Recent · 2017Lengths measured · 446 fish
2017Lengths measured · 569 fish
2007Lengths measured · 163 fish
2001Lengths measured · 346 fish
1994Rock bassGood numbers0.8per trap net9"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 14 fish
Recent · 2017Lengths measured · 14 fish
2017Lengths measured · 20 fish
2007Lengths measured · 1 fish
2001Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 1 fish
1994Only 1 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 Little Winnibigoshish 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 26" | 32" | 5" |
| 2007 | 23" | 31" | — |
| 2001 | 27" | 29" | 10" |
| 1994 | 22" | 33" | 4" |
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 · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Walleye | 550,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 389,400 fry · 5,820 fingerlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 1,104,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 1,150,000 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 1,115,000 fry · 636 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2017 survey
Little Winnibigoshish Lake (Little Winnie) is located 10 miles northwest of Deer River, MN within the Chippewa National Forest. The Mississippi River flows through the lake and water level fluctuations are common. The shoreline is essentially undeveloped with the exception of a resort on the north shore. The 2008 lake management plan lists Walleye as the primary management species, with Northern Pike and Yellow Perch as secondary management species. A standard survey was conducted in July 2017 to collect updated information on the fishery.
The Walleye gill-net catch was the highest on record and above the typical range for similar lakes. Size structure was modest with fish ranging from 7.2 to 26.8 inches and having an average length of 14.3 inches. Only 17% of the sample exceeded 18 inches. The lake was stocked with Walleye fry, frylings or fingerlings (or combinations) annually for the last 10 years, making stocking evaluation difficult. Age 1-5 fish made up the majority of the sample. Growth was average with Walleye attaining 15.7 inches at age 4.
Read the full DNR narrative
The Northern Pike gill-net catch was above the typical range for lakes with similar habitat, but near the long-term average for Little Winnie. Size structure was poor; pike ranged from 12.4 to 32.9 inches with an average length of 20.8 inches. Only 13% of the sample exceeded 24 inches.
Yellow Perch were sampled in numbers similar to the long-term average for the lake. Perch ranged from 5.2 to 9.4 inches with an average length of 6.8 inches. Only 9% of the sample exceeded 8 inches. Ages 2-7 were represented in the sample with age 3 fish the most frequently sampled. Growth was average with perch attaining 7.1 inches at age 4.
The Tullibee gill-net catch was similar to the long-term average for the lake. Tullibee ranged from 6.8 to 16.2 inches with an average length of 9.4 inches.
Other species sampled included Bowfin, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Rock Bass, Shorthead Redhorse, White Sucker and Black, Brown and Yellow Bullhead.
Anglers can help maintain or improve the quality of fishing by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest allows for the harvest of smaller fish for table fare, but encourages release of medium to large sized fish. Releasing these fish can help maintain balance in the fish community and provide anglers the opportunity to catch more and larger fish in the future.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Little Winnibigoshish Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Little Winnibigoshish 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 Winnie Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Little Winnibigoshish Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Little Ball Club Lake · 185 ac · 1.4 mi
- Ball Club Lake · 4,335 ac · 5.6 mi
- Little Cut Foot Sioux Lake · 619 ac · 6.1 mi
- Cut Foot Sioux Lake · 2,771 ac · 6.5 mi
- Sunken Lake · 45 ac · 9.2 mi
- Six Mile Lake · 1,323 ac · 9.2 mi
- Bowstring Lake · 9,528 ac · 9.6 mi
- Winnibigoshish Lake · 56,471 ac · 9.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Little Winnibigoshish Lake?
Little Winnibigoshish Lake reaches 28 ft at its deepest point; about 21% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Little Winnibigoshish Lake?
Little Winnibigoshish Lake covers 1,002 acres with about 5.8 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Little Winnibigoshish Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Little Winnibigoshish Lake average 8.5 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Little Winnibigoshish Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2017) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Little Winnibigoshish Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2021; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Little Winnibigoshish Lake have a public access?
Yes. Little Winnibigoshish Lake has one public access site: Little Winnie Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Little Winnibigoshish Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 26"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1994.
When was Little Winnibigoshish Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Little Winnibigoshish Lake in 2017, the most recent of 7 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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