Minnesota · Clearwater County
Long Lost Lake Fishing guide
Long Lost Lake is a 539-acre lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota, reaching 63 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 19.1 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 8 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers2.1per gill net22"Typical29"Biggest
Lengths measured · 21 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 21 fish
2024Lengths measured · 30 fish
2017Lengths measured · 25 fish
2010Lengths measured · 22 fish
2000Largemouth bassPresent1per trap net13"Typical16"Biggest
Lengths measured · 30 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 30 fish
2024Lengths measured · 123 fish
2017Lengths measured · 115 fish
2010Lengths measured · 34 fish
2000Northern pikeGood numbers11.4per gill net19"Typical32"Biggest
Lengths measured · 108 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 108 fish
2024Lengths measured · 69 fish
2017Lengths measured · 50 fish
2010Lengths measured · 58 fish
2000BluegillJust a few17per trap net4"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 358 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 358 fish
2024Lengths measured · 140 fish
2017Lengths measured · 463 fish
2010Lengths measured · 266 fish
2000CrappieJust a few0.6per trap net9"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 35 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 35 fish
2024Lengths measured · 24 fish
2017Lengths measured · 13 fish
2010Lengths measured · 11 fish
2000Yellow perchGood numbers5.3per gill net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 49 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 49 fish
2024Lengths measured · 29 fish
2017Lengths measured · 75 fish
2010Lengths measured · 68 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 Lost Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 19.1 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. On a lake that drops to 63 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. At 19.1 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. On a lake that drops to 63 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 32" | 29" | 16" |
| 2017 | 37" | 26" | 18" |
| 2010 | 27" | 29" | 16" |
| 2000 | 35" | 27" | 15" |
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 | 275,000 fry |
| 2024 | Walleye | 275,000 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 275,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 275,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 276,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 275,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 260,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 275,400 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 276,150 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
Long Lost Lake is a 501-acre lake with a maximum depth of 63 feet located 8 miles south of the town of Zerkel in southern Clearwater County. Lake levels rose considerably since the early 1990s but have receded several feet in recent years, although the lake is still higher than historic levels. This has resulted in extensive stands of flooded timber around the lakeshore. There are two DNR public water accesses located on the lake. The public access located on the south shore of the lake was previously flooded and remains unusable. The public access located on the east shore of the lake at the end of Seaberg Lane off of County Road 39 was also flooded. This ramp has remained usable, and boat launching is possible with parking available for 3 or 4 vehicles/trailers. Long Lost Lake is managed for Bluegill, Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Black Crappie, Northern Pike and Walleye. The lake is stocked annually with Walleye fry.
Bluegill and Black Crappie are abundant in Long Lost Lake although trap net catch rates for both species were lower in the two most recent surveys (2017 and 2024) as compared to earlier population assessments (2000 through 2010). This may be related to the recent drop in water levels, which changed shoreline habitats where these nets are set. Gill nets on the other hand, showed good catch rates for both Bluegill and Black Crappie. Gill nets were set offshore in deeper water and captured quality-sized fish of both species, with Bluegill up to 8.5 inches in length and Black Crappie up to 11.7 inches in length. A good representation of smaller fish in the catch shows that reproduction has been consistent for both species in recent years.
Read the full DNR narrative
The flooded shorelines around the lake resulted in not only excellent habitat for panfish species but also benefits to Largemouth and Smallmouth bass. Interestingly, Long Lost is one of just a few lakes in the Bemidji area that holds Smallmouth Bass. Largemouth lengths ranged from 5.8 to 16.1 inches with an average of 12.3 inches while smallmouth lengths ranged from 12.0 to 17.2 inches with an average of 15.5 inches.
Northern Pike numbers have been gradually increasing in Long Lost Lake over time, and the 2024 catch rate of 11 fish/gill net was well above the normal range found in similar lakes. Average size was on the small side at 20.3 inches, although some larger pike are present. The largest pike captured in the 2024 survey measured 32.3 inches in length, but only 12% of the pike catch was greater than 24 inches in length.
The 2024 Walleye catch rate of 2.1 fish/gill net was below the median catch rate (3 fish/gill net) for similar lakes but was within the range observed (1.6-3.6) in the previous four assessments (2000 through 2017). Walleye had a good average size of 21.6 inches in length and 3.5 lbs/fish. The largest Walleye captured was 29.3 inches in length. Walleye captured ranged in age from age-2 to age-15, with almost one-third of fish in the sample age-6 or older.
Other species of fish captured in the 2024 survey were Brown Bullhead, Pumpkinseed, White Sucker and Yellow Perch.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Long Lost Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Long Lost 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 Lost Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Long Lost Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Cox Lake · 61 ac · 2.2 mi
- Pickerel Lake · 143 ac · 3.4 mi
- Bad Medicine Lake · 803 ac · 4.6 mi
- Juggler Lake · 429 ac · 4.9 mi
- Bass Lake · 204 ac · 5.7 mi
- Island Lake · 44 ac · 6.5 mi
- Heart Lake · 225 ac · 6.8 mi
- Rockstad Lake · 142 ac · 7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Long Lost Lake?
Long Lost Lake reaches 63 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 12.5 ft; about 51% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Long Lost Lake?
Long Lost Lake covers 539 acres with about 14.3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Long Lost Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Long Lost Lake average 19.1 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Long Lost Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Long Lost Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Long Lost Lake have a public access?
Yes. Long Lost Lake has one public access site: Long Lost Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Long Lost Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 32"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2000.
When was Long Lost Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Long Lost Lake in 2024, the most recent of 8 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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