Minnesota · Cass County
Long Lake Fishing guide
Long Lake covers 246 acres in Cass County, Minnesota, reaching 37 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 14.5 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 7 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassJust a few0.7per hr (electrofishing)13"Typical17"Biggest
Lengths measured · 43 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2024Lengths measured · 2 fish
2024Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 41 fish
2023Lengths measured · 74 fish
2015Lengths measured · 63 fish
2000Northern pikeGood numbers12per gill net18"Typical31"Biggest
Lengths measured · 86 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2024Lengths measured · 5 fish
2024Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 81 fish
2023Lengths measured · 48 fish
2015Lengths measured · 53 fish
2000BluegillJust a few7.1per trap net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 150 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2024Lengths measured · 65 fish
2024Lengths measured · 85 fish
2023Lengths measured · 191 fish
2015Lengths measured · 165 fish
2000CrappieJust a few0.8per trap net9"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 21 fish
Recent · 2023 + 2024Lengths measured · 8 fish
2024Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 13 fish
2023Lengths measured · 33 fish
2015Lengths measured · 101 fish
2000Rates 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 Long Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 14.5 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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.
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 14.5 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 20" | — | 14" |
| 2023 | 31" | 24" | 17" |
| 2015 | 31" | 25" | 18" |
| 2000 | 31" | 22" | 20" |
| 1995 | 31" | 23" | 19" |
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.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Long Lake was conducted on June 25-26, 2024 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine. Backpack electrofishing was completed at ten sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample nine stations, and a 15-foot seine was used at one station. Nearshore sampling captured 17 species of fish including six species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e. Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Least Darter, Rock Bass, and Smallmouth Bass) and no species that are tolerant of disturbance.
A concurrent summer trap net survey was also conducted by IBI Program staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline in locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Trap net sampling captured seven species of fish. Bluegill and Yellow Bullhead comprised a majority of the catch by number and by biomass. The trap net catch was light overall.
Read the full DNR narrative
The nearshore and trap net were combined with gill net data from a July 2023 survey to describe the fish community and provide a fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Least Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Green Sunfish and Common Carp). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.
Results from this survey provide evidence that the fish community in Long Lake is healthy as indicated by an FIBI score that exceeds the MNDNR FIBI general use threshold determined for similar lakes. The survey results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Leech Lake River Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. You can help protect the fish community in Long Lake by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Long Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Long 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
- Long Lake, Ponto (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Long Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Ponto Lake · 388 ac · 1.3 mi
- Sand Lake · 149 ac · 1.4 mi
- Island Lake · 184 ac · 1.5 mi
- Sand Lake · 41 ac · 1.7 mi
- Deep Portage Lake · 129 ac · 2 mi
- Big Deep Lake · 536 ac · 2.1 mi
- Widow Lake · 198 ac · 2.6 mi
- Blackwater Lake · 772 ac · 3 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Long Lake?
Long Lake reaches 37 ft at its deepest point; about 57% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Long Lake?
Long Lake covers 246 acres with about 5.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Long Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Long Lake average 14.5 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Long Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Long Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Long Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Long Lake have a public access?
Yes. Long Lake has one public access site: Long Lake, Ponto (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Long 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 1995.
When was Long Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Long Lake in 2024, the most recent of 7 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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