Minnesota · Crow Wing County
Lows Lake Fishing guide
Lows Lake covers 302 acres in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, reaching 9 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 1 time, most recently in 1984, with northern pike, bluegill, crappie and yellow perch in the nets. That survey is 42 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Lows Lake in 1984. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Northern pike
- Bluegill
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
How to fish Lows Lake through the year
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. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops. A 9-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Bluegill
- Spring
- Bluegill are on the beds in firm-bottomed shallows, in colonies of dozens. On a clear lake those colonies sit deeper than you expect.
- Early summer
- Bluegill are off the beds and onto the weed edges and brush, the biggest ones pulling out first.
- Summer
- Bluegill are on the deep weedline of a stratified lake, sliding out as the surface starts back down. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Bluegill are back up onto the flats and into the last green weeds, feeding hard while the shallows still hold heat. A 9-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Season patterns for each species. Open the live map for today's wind, light and water temp.
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 · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
Bluegill · Live bait
Clip-On Bobber + Worm
half to whole garden nightcrawler
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Crappie · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner jighead
Crappie · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
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 1984 survey
Northern pike abundance is high (9.0 per lift) with an extremely excellent length-frequency distribution present. Black crappies are extremely abundant with size decent. Bluegills are present in moderate numbers with size very nice. Largemouth bass are present in low to moderate numbers, but were not caught in nets. Yellow perch as forage food are very abundant. Bullhead species are only moderately abundant.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Lows Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Lows 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
- Public access: None.
DNR bathymetry
Lows Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Moulton Lake · 258 ac · 2.9 mi
- Mary Lake · 413 ac · 4.2 mi
- Island Lake · 240 ac · 4.8 mi
- Ross Lake · 492 ac · 5.2 mi
- Emily Lake · 721 ac · 5.5 mi
- Twin Lake · 79 ac · 5.7 mi
- Ruth Lake · 599 ac · 5.9 mi
- Rogers Lake · 240 ac · 6 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Lows Lake?
Lows Lake reaches 9 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Lows Lake?
Lows Lake covers 302 acres with about 3.8 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Lows Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1984) record northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Lows Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Lows Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Lows Lake have a public access?
Yes. Lows Lake has one public access site: Public access (None.).
When was Lows Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Lows Lake in 1984. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
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The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Lows Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
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