Minnesota · Stearns County
Middle Spunk Lake Fishing guide
Middle Spunk Lake sits in Stearns County, Minnesota, and covers 236 acres, reaching 81 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 12.5 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 7 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassFair numbers45.8per hr (electrofishing)9"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 87 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 87 fish
2023Lengths measured · 164 fish
2016Lengths measured · 54 fish
2008Lengths measured · 11 fish
1998No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeGood numbers10.8per gill net19"Typical33"Biggest
Lengths measured · 68 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 68 fish
2023Lengths measured · 88 fish
2016Lengths measured · 26 fish
2008Lengths measured · 13 fish
1998BluegillJust a few7.7per trap net4"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 69 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 69 fish
2023Lengths measured · 314 fish
2016Lengths measured · 207 fish
2008Lengths measured · 208 fish
1998No recent survey rating.
No 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 Middle Spunk Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 12.5 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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. On a lake that drops to 81 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 12.5 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 81 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.
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 | Walleye | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 33" | 28" | 18" |
| 2016 | 35" | 25" | 17" |
| 2008 | 31" | 27" | 17" |
| 1998 | 29" | 21" | 13" |
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 · Jigs & bladed
Inline Spinner (Mepps/Blue Fox)
#2–#4 in-line spinner
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
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
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 2023 survey
Middle Spunk Lake is a 236-acre lake located within the city limits of Avon in central Stearns County. It has a maximum depth of 81 feet and a large watershed dominated by row crops, forest, and pasture. A city owned public access is located on the northeast corner of the lake. A standard summer survey was conducted in 2023 to monitor changes in the fishery since the last survey in 2016. Anglers can expect good fishing for Northern Pike and Largemouth Bass.
Emergent and floating leaf vegetation was mapped in August 2016 and found to cover more than half of the shoreline. Dominant species mapped were cattail, waterlily, and bulrush. Submerged vegetation was not surveyed in 2023, but chara and coontail were the dominant species found in 2016. Water clarity was good; Secchi depth was 18 feet in late June and MPCA data shows the average summer water clarity to be 13 feet over the last ten years. Dissolved oxygen was adequate to support fish down to 35 feet in late June.
Read the full DNR narrative
Northern Pike numbers were lower than 2016 but remained above the expected range of values for similar lakes. Lengths ranged from 13 to 34 inches with an average length and weight of 20 inches and 2 pounds. The Northern Pike size structure is relatively poor as only 9% of the pike sampled were 26 inches or longer in 2023, similar to 2016 (8%). With the high catch rate of pike, anglers could expect a fair bit of action from the abundant small pike.
Walleye catches have historically been low in Middle Spunk Lake despite regular fingerling stocking. Only six Walleye were captured during the 2023 survey; this is below the expected range of values for lakes like Middle Spunk and similar to results in 2016. Walleye ranged in length from 12 to 29 inches with an average length and weight of 20 inches and 3.7 pounds. While numbers are low, anglers still have a chance to catch a few walleye in Middle Spunk Lake.
Largemouth Bass were sampled by daytime electrofishing on June 1st. The catch rate of 46/hour was lower than the Sauk Rapids average daytime catch of 52/hour and lower than the 2016 survey when sampling was conducted at night. Largemouth Bass lengths ranged from six to 19 inches with an average length of 10 inches. Of catchable size fish (>8 inches), 20% were longer than 15 inches. No Smallmouth Bass were sampled in the 2023 but smallmouth were sampled in 2016 (16.2/hour).
Middle Spunk Lake is one of the few lakes in the Sauk Rapids Area to support a Tullibee population. The Tullibee catch was much higher than 2016 and the second highest on record. Tullibee lengths ranged from seven to 16 inches with a mean length of 11 inches. Tullibee need cold, well oxygenated water to survive; a temperature oxygen profile conducted on June 20 indicated that dissolved oxygen was 3.2 ppm at 36 feet, where the temperature was 44°F. It is likely that conditions are less favorable later in the summer.
Bluegill numbers were lower than 2016 but remained within the range of expected values for similar lakes. Lengths ranged from three to eight inches with an average length of five inches. Black Crappie numbers remained low, but similar to 2016. Black Crappie lengths ranged from five to 13 inches, with an average length of nine inches.
No Yellow Perch were caught in the survey; perch abundance is likely hindered by high numbers of Northern Pike. Other species sampled in low numbers included: Bowfin, Green and Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Middle Spunk Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Middle Spunk 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
- Middle Spunk Lake (trailer launch)
- Middle Spunk Lake Fishing Pier (fishing pier)
DNR bathymetry
Middle Spunk Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Lower Spunk Lake · 179 ac · 0.7 mi
- Linneman Lake · 110 ac · 1.1 mi
- Big Spunk Lake · 415 ac · 1.1 mi
- Ochotto Lake · 40 ac · 1.2 mi
- Kreigle Lake · 102 ac · 2.1 mi
- Kalla Lake · 106 ac · 2.9 mi
- Achman Lake · 47 ac · 3.1 mi
- Pitts Lake · 114 ac · 3.3 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Middle Spunk Lake?
Middle Spunk Lake reaches 81 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 27.6 ft; about 34% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Middle Spunk Lake?
Middle Spunk Lake covers 236 acres with about 4.5 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Middle Spunk Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Middle Spunk Lake average 12.5 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Middle Spunk Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Middle Spunk Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Middle Spunk Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Middle Spunk Lake have a public access?
Yes. Middle Spunk Lake has 2 public access sites, including Middle Spunk Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Middle Spunk Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 33"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1998.
When was Middle Spunk Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Middle Spunk Lake in 2023, the most recent of 7 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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