Minnesota · Cass County
Margaret Lake Fishing guide
Margaret Lake sits in Cass County, Minnesota, and covers 251 acres, reaching 26 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 6.4 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 11 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeFair numbers1.2per gill net25"Typical27"Biggest
Lengths measured · 11 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 11 fish
2025Lengths measured · 13 fish
2019Lengths measured · 3 fish
2013Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 8 fish
2007Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Northern pikeFair numbers8.8per gill net21"Typical36"Biggest
Lengths measured · 58 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 58 fish
2025Lengths measured · 51 fish
2019Lengths measured · 52 fish
2013Lengths measured · 64 fish
2007BluegillJust a few19.1per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 222 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 222 fish
2025Lengths measured · 285 fish
2019Lengths measured · 278 fish
2013Lengths measured · 350 fish
2007CrappieJust a few0.6per trap net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 17 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 17 fish
2025Lengths measured · 20 fish
2019Lengths measured · 14 fish
2013Lengths measured · 46 fish
2007Yellow perchExcellent numbers17per gill net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 109 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 109 fish
2025Lengths measured · 75 fish
2019Lengths measured · 41 fish
2013Lengths measured · 46 fish
2007No recent survey rating.
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 Margaret Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds.
- 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.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
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.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
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 | Northern pike | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 27" | 36" | 17" |
| 2019 | 27" | 32" | — |
| 2013 | 26" | 33" | — |
| 2007 | 25" | 36" | 15" |
| 2001 | 23" | 39" | 17" |
| 1996 | 22" | 31" | 3" |
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 · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
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
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
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
Margaret Lake is a 222-acre lake near the city of Nisswa in Cass County. It is part of the Gull Lake Chain of Lakes, with access possible through a navigable channel connection from Upper Gull. Northern Pike is the primary management species and a special regulation is used to achieve our management objective on the chain of lakes. The special regulation requires the immediate release of all Northern Pike between 30 and 40 inches, with a possession limit of two and only one allowed over 40 inches. A standard survey using gill nets and trap nets was conducted in June 2025 to assess fish populations and provide angler information.
Northern Pike numbers met our management goal (8.8 per net), with fish up to 37 inches captured. Anglers should have good opportunities to harvest fish with 96% of the fish below the 30 to 40 inch protected slot. Releasing larger pike is encouraged, however, to help create more opportunities for trophy fish.
Read the full DNR narrative
Panfish numbers were down a bit from previous surveys. While anglers can still expect to catch Bluegill or Black Crappie, size was lacking. Only 22% of the Bluegill were 7 inches or larger. While Crappies faired a little better for those looking to get a meal, with 47% measuring 8 inches or larger, don't expect a trophy. Only 12% of the Black Crappie were 9 inches or larger and only two over 10 inches have been caught in the last four surveys.
Walleyes aren't stocked into Margaret, but they seem to show up in every survey in low numbers; 1.2 per net in 2025. Most of the fish were large, with 71% over 20 inches. With fish up to 27.1 inches sampled, Margaret shows potential for trophy Walleyes.
Yellow Perch numbers have been rising (17.0 per net in 2025), but with a maximum length of 8.2 inches, they won't be of much interest to anglers. Yellow Perch and Tullibee (Cisco), which were caught in low numbers (1.3 per net), are an important prey species for gamefish.
Other species sampled included Bowfin (Dogfish), Brown Bullhead, Common Carp, Golden Shiner, Greater Redhorse, Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Margaret Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Margaret 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: Channel at bridge on Co. Rd. 77.
DNR bathymetry
Margaret Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Upper Gull Lake · 422 ac · 2.1 mi
- Ray Lake · 143 ac · 2.4 mi
- Roy Lake · 320 ac · 2.4 mi
- Agate Lake · 157 ac · 2.8 mi
- Fawn Lake · 64 ac · 3.4 mi
- Edna Lake · 156 ac · 3.5 mi
- Nisswa Lake · 219 ac · 3.5 mi
- Gull Lake · 10,010 ac · 4.1 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Margaret Lake?
Margaret Lake reaches 26 ft at its deepest point; about 26% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Margaret Lake?
Margaret Lake covers 251 acres with about 5.5 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Margaret Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Margaret Lake average 6.4 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Margaret Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Margaret Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Margaret Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Margaret Lake have a public access?
Yes. Margaret Lake has one public access site: Public access (Channel at bridge on Co. Rd. 77.).
How big do walleye get in Margaret Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 27"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1996.
When was Margaret Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Margaret Lake in 2025, the most recent of 11 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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