Minnesota · St. Louis County
Manganika Lake Fishing guide
Manganika Lake sits in St. Louis County, Minnesota, and covers 168 acres, reaching 24 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 2 times, most recently in 1989, with northern pike, crappie and yellow perch in the nets. That survey is 37 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Manganika Lake in 1989. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Northern pike
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
How to fish Manganika 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 84% 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.
Crappie
- Spring
- Crappie are up in the back bays and against wood in a few feet of water, spawning shallower than most people fish for them.
- Early summer
- Crappie are pulling off the bays to the first deep weed edge and brush, still reachable shallow at dusk.
- Summer
- Crappie are over the basin of a stratified lake, well off any structure, which is why summer netting barely catches them inshore. With 84% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Crappie are schooled along the deep weedline and the basin edge, pushing shallow to feed at dusk while the water still turns over slowly.
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 · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
Crappie · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Crappie · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner jighead
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Yellow perch · Live bait
Slip Bobber + Leech
jumbo or large leech
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 1989 survey
Northern pike, white sucker, black bullhead, and yellow perch are present in above average numbers. Brown bullhead and black crappie are also present. Northern pike sizes are larger than average.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Manganika Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Manganika 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
Manganika Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Mashkenode Lake · 128 ac · 1.1 mi
- Silver Lake · 46 ac · 2.7 mi
- Virginia Lake · 32 ac · 3.1 mi
- Mott Pit · 18 ac · 3.6 mi
- West Two Rivers Reservoir · 967 ac · 3.8 mi
- Little Elbow Lake · 5 ac · 4.7 mi
- Elbow Lake · 169 ac · 4.7 mi
- Ely Lake · 723 ac · 5.1 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Manganika Lake?
Manganika Lake reaches 24 ft at its deepest point; about 84% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Manganika Lake?
Manganika Lake covers 168 acres with about 3.5 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Manganika Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1989) record northern pike, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Manganika Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Manganika Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Manganika Lake have a public access?
Yes. Manganika Lake has one public access site: Public access (NONE).
When was Manganika Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Manganika Lake in 1989, the most recent of 2 surveys on record. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
Featured guide spot
Your guide service here
One featured guide per lake, with your photo, your writeup and a link straight to your booking page. Free through December 31, 2026.
Then $20 a month from January. Cancel any time.
The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Manganika Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
Open Manganika Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report