Minnesota · St. Louis County
Murphy Lake Fishing guide
Murphy Lake sits in St. Louis County, Minnesota, and covers 354 acres, reaching 24 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 6.1 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 5 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
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Good numbers4.2per gill net18"Typical27"Biggest
Lengths measured · 39 fish
Recent · 2019Lengths measured · 39 fish
2019Lengths measured · 9 fish
2009Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 12 fish
2001Lengths measured · 5 fish
1996Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Largemouth bassFair numbers31per hr (electrofishing)14"Typical17"Biggest
Lengths measured · 34 fish
Recent · 2019Lengths measured · 34 fish
2019Lengths measured · 32 fish
2009Lengths measured · 19 fish
2001Lengths measured · 71 fish
1996Northern pikeJust a few4.1per gill net22"Typical35"Biggest
Lengths measured · 48 fish
Recent · 2019Lengths measured · 48 fish
2019Lengths measured · 41 fish
2009Lengths measured · 35 fish
2001Lengths measured · 45 fish
1996BluegillJust a few8.7per trap net4"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 154 fish
Recent · 2019Lengths measured · 154 fish
2019Lengths measured · 228 fish
2009Lengths measured · 100 fish
2001Lengths measured · 243 fish
1996CrappieJust a few5.8per trap net7"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 89 fish
Recent · 2019Lengths measured · 89 fish
2019Lengths measured · 35 fish
2009Lengths measured · 111 fish
2001Lengths measured · 117 fish
1996Rates 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 Murphy 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 74% 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.
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 74% 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 | Walleye | Largemouth bass | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 27" | 17" | 35" |
| 2009 | 26" | 19" | 37" |
| 2001 | 26" | 17" | 29" |
| 1996 | 22" | 16" | 39" |
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
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
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 | 6,786 fingerlings |
| 2023 | Walleye | 5,957 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 8,864 fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 6,264 fingerlings |
| 2017 | Walleye | 5,977 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2019 survey
Murphy is a 354 acre lake with 261 (74%) acres of littoral area and maximum depth of 24 feet. Murphy Lake is located just west of Central Lakes, MN off U.S. Highway #53 and has a state-administered, concrete, back-in public access. Murphy was last assessed in 2009. Murphy was surveyed during the summer of 2019 to update information about fish populations. Walleye and Largemouth Bass are the primary species of management for Murphy Lake.
Walleye fingerlings have been stocked into Murphy during odd numbered years since 1993. Walleye abundance of 4.2 per gillnet lift was up significantly from 2009 (0.9) and was average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Historically, the Walleye gillnet catch for 2019 was the highest on record for Murphy Lake dating back to 1950. Walleye average length was large at 17.6 inches with some fish captured exceeding 25 inches. All Walleye aged corresponded to stocked year-classes, suggesting natural reproduction of Walleye is limiting in Murphy Lake. Anglers should expect quality opportunities for Walleye angling in Murphy Lake in 2020 and beyond.
Read the full DNR narrative
A total of 34 Largemouth Bass were sampled with electrofishing equipment. The catch rate of Largemouth Bass was 31.0 fish per hour of electrofishing on-time. Largemouth Bass average length was 14.3 inches with some quality sized fish sampled up to about 18 inches.
Northern Pike abundance of 4.1 per gillnet lift was average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Northern pike average length was 23.9 inches and 16% of the gillnet captured fish were greater than 28 inches in length. One large specimen captured measured 35 inches in length.
Black Crappie abundance of 5.8 per trapnet lift was average when compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Black Crappie average length was 7.4 inches. Bluegill abundance of 8.7 per trapnet lift was average when compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Average length of sampled Bluegill was 5.0 inches.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Murphy Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Murphy 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
- Murphy Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Murphy Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Elliot Lake · 373 ac · 2.6 mi
- Stone Lake · 143 ac · 2.9 mi
- Half Moon Lake · 162 ac · 5.9 mi
- Dinham Lake · 202 ac · 6.6 mi
- Pleasant Lake · 335 ac · 6.7 mi
- Long Lake · 150 ac · 7.6 mi
- Long Lake · 374 ac · 8.2 mi
- Wilson Lake · 56 ac · 8.5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Murphy Lake?
Murphy Lake reaches 24 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 9 ft; about 74% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Murphy Lake?
Murphy Lake covers 354 acres with about 5.2 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Murphy Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Murphy Lake average 6.1 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Murphy Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2019) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Murphy Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Murphy Lake have a public access?
Yes. Murphy Lake has one public access site: Murphy Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Murphy Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 27"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1996.
When was Murphy Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Murphy Lake in 2019, the most recent of 5 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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