Minnesota · Cook County
Loon Lake Fishing guide
Loon Lake covers 1,096 acres in Cook County, Minnesota, reaching 202 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 17 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 12 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Smallmouth bassPresent2per gill net6"Typical14"Biggest
Lengths measured · 27 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 27 fish
2024Lengths measured · 33 fish
2019Lengths measured · 18 fish
2015Lengths measured · 5 fish
2011Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
BluegillJust a few1.1per trap net6"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 22 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 22 fish
2024Lengths measured · 61 fish
2019Lengths measured · 30 fish
2015Lengths measured · 4 fish
2011Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
No recent survey rating.
Lake troutPresentPresent in recent DNR surveys.
Present in recent DNR surveys.
Lengths measured · 17 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 17 fish
2024Lengths measured · 20 fish
2019Lengths measured · 11 fish
2015Lengths measured · 18 fish
2011Last recorded in the 1985 survey and not seen since.
Rock bassOne of the best around8.6per trap net5"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 206 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 206 fish
2024Lengths measured · 130 fish
2019Lengths measured · 62 fish
2015Lengths measured · 72 fish
2011Rates 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 Loon Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 17 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 202 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.
Smallmouth bass
- Spring
- Smallmouth are on shallow rock, gravel and sand where they spawn. At 17 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- Early summer
- Smallmouth are post-spawn on rock points, gravel bars and the adjacent breaks.
- Summer
- Smallmouth are on rock humps, points and hard-bottom breaks. On a lake that drops to 202 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Smallmouth are bunched tight on deep rock, so find one and you have found the school.
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 | Smallmouth bass | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 17" | 14" | 33" |
| 2019 | 24" | 17" | 36" |
| 2015 | 28" | 16" | 37" |
| 2011 | 22" | 10" | 34" |
| 2007 | 26" | 12" | 36" |
| 2003 | 30" | 12" | 33" |
| 1999 | 20" | 11" | 32" |
| 1996 | 24" | 11" | 30" |
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 · 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
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Ned Rig
2.75" finesse stickbait or craw-style Ned bait
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)
4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Trolling
Muskie Trolling (big cranks)
8–10" large diving crankbait rated for the target depth
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
Loon Lake is a large, 1,096-acre lake within Cook County and has a maximum depth of 202 ft. There is a small concrete boat access and two remote campsites located on the northwest side of the lake, just off the Gunflint Trail. Loon Lake is primarily managed for lake trout and smallmouth bass. In 2024, a standard survey was conducted using gillnets and trap nets to assess the current fish community.
Lake trout are the primary management species in Loon Lake and catches in the 2024 survey met management goals. Lake trout catch rates were just below the long-term average for the lake but have been slowly declining since 1993. Lake trout lengths ranged from 11.0 to 32.8 inches, with an average size of 18.5 inches. Quality and preferred sizes of lake trout were present in Loon Lake, with 29% of the fish exceeding 20.0 inches and 12% exceeding 26.0 inches. Lake trout growth was slow, as it took fish 12 years to reach 16.0 inches on average. Lake trout can grow big in Loon Lake due to the excellent forage species, cisco, present within the lake. Anglers looking to target lake trout on Loon Lake should expect to catch fair numbers of quality sized fish with the opportunity to catch trophy sized individuals.
Read the full DNR narrative
Smallmouth bass are the secondary management species within Loon Lake and catches in the 2024 survey met management goals. Catch rates in trap nets were average for Loon Lake, but very high in gill nets. This is likely due to an expansion of smallmouth bass into deeper waters where gill nets are typically set. Smallmouth bass lengths ranged from 5.3 to 14.7 inches and were relatively small on average. Only one smallmouth bass was larger than 14.0 inches from the survey. Anglers looking to target smallmouth bass on Loon Lake should expect to catch a relatively high number of small fish rather than large individuals.
Northern pike catch rates have been stable since 2007 but were observed at relatively low numbers during the 2024 survey. Northern pike ranged from 21.7 to 33.1 inches and averaged 26.5 inches. Loon Lake has been known to produce some larger sized northern pike since cisco are present and provide a high-quality forage. Walleye catch rates were below the long-term average but have always been low in Loon Lake. Walleye lengths ranged from 9.9 to 17.4 inches and averaged 14.1 inches. Walleye growth was relatively fast in Loon Lake compared to other Grand Marais area lakes, taking only three years to reach 16.0 inches on average.
Rock bass abundance has continued to increase in Loon Lake and catch rates from the 2024 survey were the highest on record. Bluegill were also caught during the survey, but catches were average and most likely not of any interests to anglers.
Cisco are an important forage species for lake trout and northern pike in Loon Lake. Catch rates have been good and relatively stable since 1999. Cisco lengths ranged from 8.5 to 13.0 inches and averaged 11.4 inches. Larger sized cisco may be an additional species ice anglers may be interested in targeting on Loon Lake.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Loon Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Loon 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
- Loon Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Loon Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Tucker Lake · 147 ac · 1.4 mi
- Gunflint Lake · 4,009 ac · 1.4 mi
- Little Iron Lake · 115 ac · 1.9 mi
- Crab Lake · 78 ac · 2.4 mi
- Trip Lake · 11 ac · 2.7 mi
- Little Mayhew Lake · 34 ac · 2.7 mi
- Extortion Lake · 16 ac · 3.3 mi
- Iron Lake · 122 ac · 3.5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Loon Lake?
Loon Lake reaches 202 ft at its deepest point; about 13% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Loon Lake?
Loon Lake covers 1,096 acres with about 14.3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Loon Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Loon Lake average 17 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Loon Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, yellow perch, lake trout, splake, rock bass.
Is Loon Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Loon Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Loon Lake have a public access?
Yes. Loon Lake has one public access site: Loon Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Loon Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 17"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1996.
When was Loon Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Loon Lake in 2024, the most recent of 12 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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