Minnesota · Itasca County
Natures Lake Fishing guide
Natures Lake sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, and covers 2,249 acres, reaching 6 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 1 time, most recently in 1990, with walleye, northern pike, crappie and yellow perch in the nets. That survey is 36 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Natures Lake in 1990. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Walleye
- Northern pike
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
How to fish Natures 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 100% 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 6-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 100% 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 6-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.
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 · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Inline Spinner (Mepps/Blue Fox)
#2–#4 in-line spinner
Crappie · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner jighead
Crappie · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
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 1990 survey
fish species composition of lake is dominated by l ow oxygen tolerant species: bullheads, yellow per ch & northern. Northern pike gillnet abundance is 16.5 per lift. A wide range of sizes were sample d, with age i-vii represented. Growth is good, me an length at last annulus formation for age 1 = 9. 5 = 22.1 (n=1). Bullheads are abundant, with blacks, yell ows, and browns present in the lake. The yellow a nd brown bullhead population is comprised of large fish and would be of interest to commercial fishe rmen. Walleye abundance is low at 2.0/gillnet. W alleye probably move throughout the popple river s ystem from round lake to big fork river during spr ing spawning and exit squaw lake throughout the summer. A limited sample indicates that growth is good.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Natures Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Natures 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
- Natures Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Natures Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Round Lake · 2,860 ac · 3.1 mi
- Rice Lake · 791 ac · 3.3 mi
- Little Sand Lake · 353 ac · 4.1 mi
- Sand Lake · 3,579 ac · 5.7 mi
- Dunbar Lake · 268 ac · 5.8 mi
- Little Whitefish Lake · 160 ac · 6 mi
- Cedar Lake · 178 ac · 6.6 mi
- Dora Lake · 423 ac · 6.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Natures Lake?
Natures Lake reaches 6 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Natures Lake?
Natures Lake covers 2,249 acres with about 26 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Natures Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1990) record walleye, northern pike, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Natures Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Natures Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Natures Lake have a public access?
Yes. Natures Lake has one public access site: Natures Lake (trailer launch).
When was Natures Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Natures Lake in 1990. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
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