Minnesota · Crow Wing County
Mayo Lake Fishing guide
Mayo Lake covers 164 acres in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, reaching 22 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 5 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 7 times, most recently in 2019, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 7 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeGood numbers10per gill net23"Typical30"Biggest
Lengths measured · 31 fish
Recent · 2019Lengths measured · 31 fish
2019Lengths measured · 42 fish
2007Lengths measured · 21 fish
1997BluegillJust a few16per trap net5"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 168 fish
Recent · 2019Lengths measured · 168 fish
2019Lengths measured · 334 fish
2007Lengths measured · 74 fish
1997CrappieJust a few2.2per trap net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 40 fish
Recent · 2019Lengths measured · 40 fish
2019Lengths measured · 16 fish
2007Lengths measured · 8 fish
1997Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
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 Mayo 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 89% 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.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn.
- 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.
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 | Northern pike | Largemouth bass | Bluegill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 30" | 14" | 7" |
| 2007 | 30" | 15" | 7" |
| 1997 | 26" | 17" | 7" |
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:
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
Bluegill · Live bait
Clip-On Bobber + Worm
half to whole garden nightcrawler
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
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 2019 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Mayo Lake was conducted on June 17-18, 2019 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all ten sampling stations, but two stations were sampled from the boat due to site conditions. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample seven stations, a 15-foot seine was used at one stations, and site conditions prevented the use of seines at two stations. Nearshore sampling captured nine species of fish including one species that is intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Least Darter) and one that is tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Green Sunfish).
The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from a July 2019 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Least Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Fathead Minnow and Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. An additional survey was completed on Mayo Lake in July 2019 that resulted in a similar FIBI score. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.
Read the full DNR narrative
Data from this survey indicates Mayo Lake is in good health as indicated by an FIBI score above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Crow Wing River Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Mayo Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Mayo 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.
DNR bathymetry
Mayo Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- East Twin Lake · 163 ac · 1.3 mi
- West Twin Lake · 128 ac · 1.3 mi
- Sibley Lake · 444 ac · 1.8 mi
- Fawn Lake · 64 ac · 2.1 mi
- Loon Lake · 232 ac · 2.2 mi
- Edna Lake · 156 ac · 2.3 mi
- Lower Cullen Lake · 560 ac · 2.5 mi
- Ray Lake · 143 ac · 3 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Mayo Lake?
Mayo Lake reaches 22 ft at its deepest point; about 89% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Mayo Lake?
Mayo Lake covers 164 acres with about 3.5 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Mayo Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Mayo Lake average 5 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Mayo Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2019) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Mayo Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Mayo Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
How big do northern pike get in Mayo Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 30"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1997.
When was Mayo Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Mayo Lake in 2019, the most recent of 7 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
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 Mayo Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
Open Mayo Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report