Minnesota · Itasca County
Moose Lake Fishing guide
Moose Lake sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, and covers 412 acres, reaching 52 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 11.3 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 9 times, most recently in 2018, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets. That survey is 8 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Good numbers5.7per gill net15"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 57 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 57 fish
2018Lengths measured · 88 fish
2008Lengths measured · 63 fish
2000Largemouth bassJust a few16.1per hr (electrofishing)10"Typical14"Biggest
Lengths measured · 21 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 21 fish
2018Lengths measured · 35 fish
2008Lengths measured · 11 fish
2000Northern pikeFair numbers8.7per gill net22"Typical28"Biggest
Lengths measured · 78 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 78 fish
2018Lengths measured · 80 fish
2008Lengths measured · 94 fish
2000CrappieJust a few2per trap net8"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 18 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 18 fish
2018Lengths measured · 12 fish
2008Lengths measured · 20 fish
2000Yellow perchOne of the best around147.6per gill net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 1448 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 1448 fish
2018Lengths measured · 1016 fish
2008Lengths measured · 280 fish
2000Rates 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 Moose Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 11.3 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 52 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.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 11.3 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 52 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 26" | 28" | 14" |
| 2008 | 24" | 27" | 16" |
| 2000 | 25" | 30" | 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 · 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
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 · 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.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | 178,500 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 178,500 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 178,500 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 357,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 393,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2018 survey
Moose Lake is a small lake located six miles southeast of Northome, MN in northern Itasca County. The lake lies within the Chippewa National Forest and the Big Fork River watershed. Much of the shoreline is undeveloped forest land managed by the US Forest Service. There is a concrete ramp public access at the south end of the lake with limited parking.
The lake management plan (LMP) was last revised in 2009. Walleye were considered primary management species because of alternate-year fry stocking. Northern Pike and Black Crappie were considered secondary management species. A standard survey was conducted in 2018 to assess the status of the fish community and the effectiveness of Walleye fry stocking.
Read the full DNR narrative
The Walleye gill-net catch was typical for Moose Lake and slightly above average for lakes with comparable habitat. Walleye size structure was good; fish from gill nets averaged 15.8 inches and 18% of the sample exceeded 20 inches. Most fish corresponded to stocked year classes but a moderate natural year class (2016) was represented by numbers of age 2 fish. Growth was considered good with Walleye averaging 15.2 inches at age 4. Moose Lake appears to provide good fishing opportunities for Walleye.
The Northern Pike gill-net catch was about average for Moose Lake and slightly above average for lakes with similar habitat. Size structure was moderate; pike ranged from 17.9 to 28.6 inches with an average length of 22.9 inches. Ages 2-7 were represented with age 3 fish the most frequently sampled. Pike averaged 21.9 inches at age 4. The north central pike zone regulation implemented in 2018 requires anglers to release pike from 22-26 inches, while allowing for more harvest of small pike. It is hoped that this regulation will improve size quality on Moose Lake.
Moose Lake has generally produced a modest crappie fishery. The 2018 trap-net catch was higher than previous surveys but within the typical range for lakes with comparable habitat. Crappie from trap nets ranged from 4.8 to 10.2 inches with an average length of 8.2 inches. Ages 1-4 were represented with ages 2 and 3 making up a majority of the sample. Growth was good with crappie averaging 8.0 inches at age 3.
Gill-net catches for Yellow Perch have typically been quite high compared to similar lakes. The 2018 catch was the highest ever recorded. Not surprisingly, size structure was fairly poor; perch from gill nets averaged 6.8 inches and very few fish exceeded 8 inches. Yellow Perch are more important as a prey source for predators than as a target for anglers.
Other species sampled in test nets included Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Rock Bass, Brown Bullhead and White Sucker.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Moose Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Moose 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
- Moose Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Moose Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Teufer Lake · 39 ac · 3.7 mi
- Island Lake · 3,108 ac · 3.8 mi
- Bartlett Lake · 304 ac · 5.8 mi
- Cameron Lake · 94 ac · 5.9 mi
- Shallow Pond · 225 ac · 7.2 mi
- Dora Lake · 423 ac · 8.2 mi
- Dark Lake · 120 ac · 9.2 mi
- Clear Lake · 89 ac · 9.7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Moose Lake?
Moose Lake reaches 52 ft at its deepest point; about 23% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Moose Lake?
Moose Lake covers 412 acres with about 6.6 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Moose Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Moose Lake average 11.3 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Moose Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2018) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Moose Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Moose Lake have a public access?
Yes. Moose Lake has one public access site: Moose Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Moose Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 26"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2000.
When was Moose Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Moose Lake in 2018, the most recent of 9 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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