Minnesota · Cook County
Magnetic Lake Fishing guide
Magnetic Lake covers 447 acres in Cook County, Minnesota, reaching 90 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 14.2 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 4 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike and yellow perch in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
Present in recent DNR surveys.
Rates 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 Magnetic Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 14.2 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 90 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 14.2 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 90 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.
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
Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)
4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic
Smallmouth bass · Jigs & bladed
Tail Spinner
Compact lead body with a free-spinning blade on the tail
Lake trout · Trolling
Trout Trolling (spoons/cowbells)
2–3in trolling spoon behind a small cowbell/dodger string
Lake trout · Jigs & bladed
Inline Spinner (Mepps/Blue Fox)
#2–#4 in-line spinner
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 2025 survey
Magnetic Lake is a 446-acre lake located on the U.S-Canadian border in Cook County, Minnesota. Access to the lake is through a broad channel connected from Gunflint Lake and is a popular travel route for recreationalist entering the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Magnetic Lake has seen minimal sampling over the past 50 years; however, more routine habitat monitoring has found suitable conditions for coldwater species like lake trout. Currently, Magnetic Lake is managed for lake trout and walleye with a goal for lake trout to maintain a minimum gill net catch of 1.0 fish/net. In 2025, a standard survey was conducted on Magnetic Lake using gillnets to monitor the current fish community.
Lake trout catch rates in gillnets were 0.6 fish/net and similar to previous surveys; however, slightly below the management goal. Low catch rates are not uncommon for summer lake trout surveys, especially in lakes with suspended coldwater forage like cisco. Lake trout lengths ranged from 12.2 to 22.2 inches and exhibited slow growth. Anglers may have a difficult time catching lake trout since they are low in abundance within Magnetic Lake.
Read the full DNR narrative
Walleye catch rates in 2025 were 1.2 fish/net and had slightly increased from the previous survey from 1991 (0.2 fish/net). Six walleye were captured and ranged from 10.8 to 22.0 inches and represented three different age classes. Walleye growth was relatively fast likely due to cisco being present as a quality forage base. Anglers looking to target walleye should not expect to catch walleye easily, but rather, work a little harder to catch medium sized fish.
Other species encountered during the survey included a mix of cold and warm water fish species. Cisco catches were high at 7.2 fish/net and provide quality forage opportunities for lake trout and large walleye. Smallmouth bass, rock bass, white sucker, burbot, and yellow perch were also caught during the survey, but were present in low numbers.
Temperature and dissolved oxygen parameters were measured to monitor coldwater fish habitats during stressful summer periods. These results indicated there was approximately 43.0 feet of optimal habitat for lake trout (temperature 3.0 ppm) in Magnetic Lake. This range of habitat was found at depths from 39.7 to 82.0 feet and further supports coldwater species like lake trout, burbot and cisco.
Minnesota Lakes within Cook County continue to be susceptible to aquatic invasive species introductions. Invasive species have the potential to significantly alter fish communities and overall lake health. Anglers should clean watercraft and fishing gear, drain all water, and dispose of unused bait in the trash to prevent accidental introductions.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Magnetic Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Magnetic 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: BOAT CHANNEL FROM GUNFLINT LAKE PORTAGE TRAIL FROM PINE RIVER. MAGNETIC LAKE IS A MN-ONTARIO
DNR bathymetry
Magnetic Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Gunflint Lake · 4,009 ac · 2.9 mi
- Trip Lake · 11 ac · 2.9 mi
- Extortion Lake · 16 ac · 2.9 mi
- Larch Lake · 132 ac · 3.3 mi
- Loon Lake · 1,096 ac · 4 mi
- Round Lake · 155 ac · 4.6 mi
- Tucker Lake · 147 ac · 4.9 mi
- Mavis Lake · 9 ac · 5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Magnetic Lake?
Magnetic Lake reaches 90 ft at its deepest point; about 21% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Magnetic Lake?
Magnetic Lake covers 447 acres with about 10.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Magnetic Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Magnetic Lake average 14.2 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Magnetic Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, lake trout, rock bass.
Is Magnetic Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Magnetic Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Magnetic Lake have a public access?
Yes. Magnetic Lake has one public access site: Public access (BOAT CHANNEL FROM GUNFLINT LAKE PORTAGE TRAIL FROM PINE RIVER. MAGNETIC LAKE IS A MN-ONTARIO).
How big do walleye get in Magnetic Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 22".
When was Magnetic Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Magnetic Lake in 2025, the most recent of 4 surveys on record.
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