Minnesota · Clearwater County
Minerva Lake Fishing guide
Minerva Lake sits in Clearwater County, Minnesota, and covers 230 acres, reaching 16 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 7.1 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 7 times, most recently in 2016, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 10 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2024Good numbers4.3per gill net22"Typical29"Biggest
Lengths measured · 27 fish
Recent · 2016Lengths measured · 27 fish
2016Lengths measured · 12 fish
2009Lengths measured · 30 fish
2002Lengths measured · 70 fish
1995Largemouth bassPresent0.2per gill net15"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 55 fish
Recent · 2016Lengths measured · 55 fish
2016Lengths measured · 2 fish
2009Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 7 fish
2002Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 7 fish
1995Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Northern pikeGood numbers10.8per gill net22"Typical32"Biggest
Lengths measured · 72 fish
Recent · 2016Lengths measured · 72 fish
2016Lengths measured · 46 fish
2009Lengths measured · 63 fish
2002Lengths measured · 26 fish
1995BluegillLast stocked 2023Just a few23per trap net7"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 342 fish
Recent · 2016Lengths measured · 342 fish
2016Lengths measured · 116 fish
2009Lengths measured · 40 fish
2002Lengths measured · 11 fish
1995CrappieLast stocked 2023Fair numbers17.6per trap net8"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 213 fish
Recent · 2016Lengths measured · 213 fish
2016Lengths measured · 6 fish
2009Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 5 fish
2002Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 30 fish
1995Yellow perchElite fishery54.7per gill net7"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 338 fish
Recent · 2016Lengths measured · 338 fish
2016Lengths measured · 33 fish
2009Lengths measured · 22 fish
2002Lengths measured · 244 fish
1995No 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 Minerva 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. With 95% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows. A 16-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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 95% 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. A 16-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 29" | 32" | 19" |
| 2009 | 22" | 28" | 13" |
| 2002 | 30" | 36" | 16" |
| 1995 | 28" | 27" | 17" |
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 · Hardbaits
Weedless Spoon + Trailer (Silver Minnow)
3/8–1/2 oz weedless spoon
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
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.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | 4,410 fingerlings · 49 yearlings |
| 2023 | Black Crappie | 127 adults |
| 2023 | Bluegill Sunfish | 105 adults |
| 2023 | Walleye | 101,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 3,707 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 126 adults |
| 2020 | Walleye | 1,240 yearlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 7,975 fingerlings |
| 2017 | Walleye | 600 yearlings |
| 2016 | Walleye | 1,272 yearlings · 93 adults |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2016 survey
Lake Minerva is a 230-acre lake with a maximum depth of 16 feet located 12 miles south of Bagley in Clearwater County. There is a DNR public water access located on the southeast shore of the lake with an earthen ramp and parking for about 8 trucks/trailers. Lake Minerva is managed for Walleye, Black Crappie, and Bluegill. Statewide fishing regulations apply to all species.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has classified Minnesota lakes based on similarities in lake basin (depth, size) water chemistry (alkalinity, water clarity) and geographic location. Lake class can affect the type of fish community present in the lake. Lake Minerva is in lake class 39. The following discussion makes comparisons between Lake Minerva and other class 39 lakes in the state. Other Bemidji area lakes in this class include Pine Lake, Rogstad Lake, and Lake Puposky.
Read the full DNR narrative
A commonality between these class 39 lakes is they have all experienced winterkill periodically in their histories. Lake Minerva had a history of frequent winterkill events when it had direct connection and flow through from Upper Rice Lake. Water from shallow Upper Rice increased the oxygen depletion rate in Minerva resulting in winterkill in both basins. Since the Upper Rice outlet was diverted for rice and waterfowl management Lake Minerva's fish community has improved and diversified.
The 2016 Walleye catch rate was 4.33/gill net. Walleye had a good average size of 21.75 inches and 4.12 lbs/fish.
The 2016 Northern Pike catch rate was 10.83/gill net. Pike also had a good average size of 23.16 inches in length and 2.76 lbs/fish. The largest Northern Pike captured in the 2016 assessment measured 32.09 inches in length.
Crappie, Bluegill, and Bass, all species that are sensitive to winterkill. Since reintroduction these species have now established very good fisheries. The Black Crappie catch rate of 17.56/trap net was above the normal range found in similar lakes (0.80/trap net- 6.50/trap net). Black Crappie captured had an average size of 8.38 inches in length and 0.33 lbs/fish.
The 2016 Bluegill catch rate was 23/trap net. Bluegill captured had an average size of 7.16 inches in length and 0.33 lbs/fish, with good numbers of quality-size fish present.
An electrofishing assessment targeting Largemouth Bass was conducted as part of the 2016 assessment of Lake Minerva. The catch rate of 33.02 bass/hour indicates a healthy bass population. Largemouth Bass up to 19.29 inches in length were captured, with a good average size of 15.75 inches in length.
Other species of fish captured in the 2016 assessment were Yellow Perch, White Sucker, Pumpkinseed, Hybrid Sunfish, and Bullhead species.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Minerva Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Minerva 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
- Minerva Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Minerva Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Upper Rice Lake · 1,527 ac · 1.7 mi
- Rockstad Lake · 142 ac · 6.7 mi
- Long Lake · 159 ac · 6.9 mi
- LaSalle Lake · 238 ac · 7.7 mi
- Walker Brook Lake · 95 ac · 8.1 mi
- Heart Lake · 225 ac · 8.2 mi
- Big LaSalle Lake · 235 ac · 9 mi
- Moose Lake · 132 ac · 9.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Minerva Lake?
Minerva Lake reaches 16 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 7.9 ft; about 95% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Minerva Lake?
Minerva Lake covers 230 acres with about 2.8 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Minerva Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Minerva Lake average 7.1 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Minerva Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2016) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Minerva Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Minerva Lake have a public access?
Yes. Minerva Lake has one public access site: Minerva Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Minerva Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 29"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.
When was Minerva Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Minerva Lake in 2016, the most recent of 7 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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