Minnesota · Isanti County
Lory Lake Fishing guide
Lory Lake is a 222-acre lake in Isanti County, Minnesota, reaching 21 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 3.8 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 9 times, most recently in 2021, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassGood numbers69.4per hr (electrofishing)14"Typical20"Biggest
Lengths measured · 50 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 50 fish
2021Lengths measured · 115 fish
2013Lengths measured · 42 fish
2009Lengths measured · 67 fish
2004Northern pikeJust a few3.3per gill net22"Typical28"Biggest
Lengths measured · 28 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 28 fish
2021Lengths measured · 34 fish
2013Lengths measured · 16 fish
2009Lengths measured · 43 fish
2004BluegillJust a few17.4per trap net4"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 296 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 296 fish
2021Lengths measured · 118 fish
2013Lengths measured · 158 fish
2009Lengths measured · 111 fish
2004CrappieJust a few5.3per trap net5"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 212 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 212 fish
2021Lengths measured · 92 fish
2013Lengths measured · 225 fish
2009Lengths measured · 108 fish
2004Rates 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 Lory Lake through the year
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. In 3.8 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- Early summer
- Largemouth are on the shallow spawning flats and protected bays, where beds go on firm bottom next to isolated cover.
- Summer
- Largemouth are in and along the weeds: cabbage and milfoil edges, matted cover and shade. With 89% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 3.8 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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. With 89% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- 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 | Largemouth bass | Walleye | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 20" | 26" | 28" |
| 2013 | 20" | 27" | 35" |
| 2009 | 20" | 26" | 30" |
| 2004 | 20" | 22" | 31" |
| 1999 | 17" | 26" | 33" |
| 1994 | 19" | 26" | 34" |
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:
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
Walleye · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
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 2021 survey
Lory is a fertile, 212 acre lake in northern Isanti County. Lakeshore development and water clarity are fairly low. A public boat access is located on the west side of the lake with roadside parking. The lake is managed primarily for Northern Pike and Largemouth Bass. Fishing pressure is low to moderate in summer and moderate to high some winters.
Based on 2021 assessments results, anglers can expect good numbers of quality sized Largemouth Bass. Bass averaged 12.9 inches and 1.4 pounds with more than a third of the catch topping 15 inches. Northern Pike abundance decreased slightly since 2013 but size bumped up some. Northerns averaged 23.2 inches and 2.7.
Read the full DNR narrative
Black Crappie are still abundant in the lake and with bass receive the bulk of anglers' attention. While 30% of the crappie catch from trap nets exceeded 9 inches, gill netted crappie were notably smaller. Most were under 7 inches.
Bluegills provide additional harvest opportunity. Their abundance in the trap nets increased with a subsequent decrease in size. Less than 15% of the catch topped 7 inches. Walleye abundance was down compared to the lake's historic mean. Lory Lake was removed from the regular stocking list after 2015. Walleye will now only be stocked when a surplus is available. The three walleye captured ranged from 21 to 27 inches.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Lory Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Lory 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
- Lory Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Lory Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Lewis Lake · 179 ac · 1.9 mi
- Seventeen Lake · 32 ac · 6 mi
- North Stanchfield Lake · 157 ac · 6.4 mi
- Devils Lake · 59 ac · 6.6 mi
- South Stanchfield Lake · 411 ac · 7.9 mi
- Fish Lake · 506 ac · 8.1 mi
- Little Stanchfield Lake · 146 ac · 8.4 mi
- Spectacle Lake · 246 ac · 10.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Lory Lake?
Lory Lake reaches 21 ft at its deepest point; about 89% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Lory Lake?
Lory Lake covers 222 acres with about 3.5 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Lory Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Lory Lake average 3.8 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Lory Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2021) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Lory Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Lory Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Lory Lake have a public access?
Yes. Lory Lake has one public access site: Lory Lake (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Lory Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 20"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1994.
When was Lory Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Lory Lake in 2021, the most recent of 9 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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