Minnesota · Carlton County
Moosehead Lake Fishing guide
Moosehead Lake is a 279-acre lake in Carlton County, Minnesota, reaching 18 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 4.4 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 6 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeFair numbers2.2per gill net15"Typical24"Biggest
Lengths measured · 22 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 22 fish
2023Lengths measured · 10 fish
2014Lengths measured · 20 fish
2006Lengths measured · 21 fish
1999Smallmouth bassFair numbers9.8per hr (electrofishing)11"Typical17"Biggest
Lengths measured · 14 fish
Northern pikeJust a few5per gill net21"Typical31"Biggest
Lengths measured · 38 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 38 fish
2023Lengths measured · 51 fish
2014Lengths measured · 63 fish
2006Lengths measured · 52 fish
1999BluegillJust a few7per trap net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 348 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2023Lengths measured · 95 fish
2023Lengths measured · 253 fish
2021Lengths measured · 102 fish
2014Lengths measured · 61 fish
2006CrappieJust a few2.6per trap net9"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 141 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2023Lengths measured · 62 fish
2023Lengths measured · 79 fish
2021Lengths measured · 135 fish
2014Lengths measured · 26 fish
2006Yellow perchGood numbers8.2per gill net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 61 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 61 fish
2023Lengths measured · 73 fish
2014Lengths measured · 43 fish
2006Lengths measured · 23 fish
1999Last recorded in the 1999 survey and not seen since.
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 Moosehead 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 93% 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 18-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Smallmouth bass
- Spring
- Smallmouth are on shallow rock, gravel and sand where they spawn.
- Early summer
- Smallmouth are post-spawn on rock points, gravel bars and the adjacent breaks.
- Summer
- Smallmouth are on rock humps, points and hard-bottom breaks. With 93% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Smallmouth are bunched tight on deep rock, so find one and you have found the school. A 18-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 | Smallmouth bass | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 24" | 17" | 15" |
| 2014 | 23" | — | 17" |
| 2006 | 20" | — | — |
| 1999 | 25" | — | — |
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
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Ned Rig
2.75" finesse stickbait or craw-style Ned bait
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)
4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
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
Moosehead Lake is located on the east side of Moose Lake, MN. There is a city administered back-in access adjacent to the public park with a swimming beach. The lake is 279 acres and has a maximum depth of 18 feet. The 2023 survey was completed to update information about fish populations in Moosehead Lake. Special angling regulations on sunfish and crappie were implemented in 2022. These regulations are a daily limit of five sunfish, possession limit of 20 and a daily limit of five crappie, possession limit 10. This was the first survey since the special regulations were added to the lake.
Bluegill abundance of 7.0 per trap net lift was in the normal range compared to similar lakes. The average length was 5.2 inches and seven fish were over 8 inches long. All year-classes from 2015 to 2021 were represented indicating consistent recruitment and over 80% of the catch was made up of strong year-classes in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Growth of Bluegill was above average for the area.
Read the full DNR narrative
Black Crappie trap net catch was within the normal range for similar Minnesota lakes. The gill net catch for crappie was also within the normal range. The average length of Black Crappie was 7.3 inches and 13% of the catch was over 10 inches long. Six-year classes of crappie were determined with age-2 fish making up 67% of the catch. Growth of Black Crappie was above average compared to other Duluth Area lakes.
Walleye abundance of 2.2 fish per gill net lift was in the normal range for similar type lakes in Minnesota. The average length of sampled fish was 16.8 inches with the largest Walleye being 24.7 inches. Seven ages of Walleye were found and age-3 fish comprised 50% of the total catch. Growth appeared to be slow compared to other Duluth populations.
The Northern Pike gillnet catch was within the normal range compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. The average size of pike was 22.3 inches with the largest fish measuring 31.8 inches.
A total of 2 Largemouth Bass were caught via nighttime electrofishing. Lengths were 11.7 and 15.6 inches.
Thirteen Smallmouth Bass were sampled with electrofishing and gill nets caught a single Smallmouth Bass. The average length of Smallmouth Bass was 11.6 inches with a couple fish over 17 inches seen.
The Yellow Perch gillnet catch of was within the normal range for similar Minnesota lakes. The average length of perch was small at 6.3 inches and only two perch were longer than 9 inches.
Two large Channel Catfish were caught during the survey with both fish around 29 inches long.
Other fish species sampled included Chestnut Lamprey, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Shorthead Redhorse, Silver Redhorse, Tadpole Madtom, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead.
No Lake Sturgeon were encountered during the 2023 survey. Lake Sturgeon were caught in two previous surveys (1989 and 1999). There are anecdotal reports of sturgeon spawning activity in the Moosehead River near the Highway #61 Bridge at the outlet of Moosehead Lake. Anglers have reported catching large Lake Sturgeon in the lake.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Moosehead Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Moosehead 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
- Moosehead Lake (trailer launch)
- Moosehead Lake Fishing Pier (fishing pier)
DNR bathymetry
Moosehead Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Echo Lake · 108 ac · 1.5 mi
- Sand Lake · 527 ac · 2.6 mi
- Moose Lake · 133 ac · 2.6 mi
- Island Lake · 527 ac · 2.9 mi
- Hanging Horn Lake · 409 ac · 3.6 mi
- Little Hanging Horn Lake · 114 ac · 4.4 mi
- Sturgeon Lake · 1,706 ac · 4.7 mi
- Bear Lake · 100 ac · 5.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Moosehead Lake?
Moosehead Lake reaches 18 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 12 ft; about 93% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Moosehead Lake?
Moosehead Lake covers 279 acres with about 3.2 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Moosehead Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Moosehead Lake average 4.4 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Moosehead Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, lake sturgeon, rock bass, channel catfish.
Is Moosehead Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Moosehead Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Moosehead Lake have a public access?
Yes. Moosehead Lake has 2 public access sites, including Moosehead Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Moosehead Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 24"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1999.
When was Moosehead Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Moosehead Lake in 2023, the most recent of 6 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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