Minnesota · Lake County
Newton Lake Fishing guide
Newton Lake sits in Lake County, Minnesota, and covers 516 acres, reaching 47 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 5 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 10 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeGood numbers4.7per gill net10"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 54 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 54 fish
2018Lengths measured · 79 fish
2007Lengths measured · 27 fish
1995Lengths measured · 27 fish
1993Smallmouth bassPresent (last recorded 2018)0.7per gill net15"Typical20"Biggest
Lengths measured · 17 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 17 fish
2018Lengths measured · 3 fish
2007Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 2 fish
1995Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 6 fish
1993Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Northern pikeJust a few2per gill net20"Typical34"Biggest
Lengths measured · 30 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 30 fish
2018Lengths measured · 25 fish
2007Lengths measured · 21 fish
1995Lengths measured · 7 fish
1993Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
No recent survey rating.
CrappieJust a few1.2per trap net12"Typical14"Biggest
Lengths measured · 11 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 11 fish
2018Lengths measured · 5 fish
1995Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 1 fish
1993Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Yellow perchGood numbers6.8per gill net7"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 79 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 79 fish
2018Lengths measured · 64 fish
2007Lengths measured · 46 fish
1995Lengths measured · 33 fish
1993Rock bassExcellent numbers4.7per gill net8"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 61 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 61 fish
2018Lengths measured · 4 fish
2007Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 70 fish
1995Lengths measured · 21 fish
1993Rates 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 Newton 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. On a lake that drops to 47 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.
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. On a lake that drops to 47 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Smallmouth are bunched tight on deep rock, so find one and you have found the school.
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 | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 26" | 20" | 34" |
| 2007 | 25" | 15" | 22" |
| 1995 | 21" | 14" | 42" |
| 1993 | 12" | 14" | 22" |
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
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
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
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 2025 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Newton Lake on August 8th, 2025. This was done to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Cisco, also known as Tullibee, the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake. Cisco require a layer of oxythermal habitat that contains water temperatures below 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) and dissolved oxygen concentrations above 3.0 mg/L. Based on data collected from the deepest basin (maximum sampled depth was 45.9 feet), the water temperature never decreased to 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) and the dissolved oxygen concentration stayed greater than 3.0 mg/L for the entire sampled depth. Therefore, the water column did not contain a layer of water with sufficient temperature and dissolved oxygen for Cisco.
Further, the temperature at which dissolved oxygen decreased to 3.0 mg/L (i.e., TDO3, a single variable to characterize oxythermal habitat) was never reached because dissolved oxygen remained above 3.0 mg/L throughout the sampled depths. In this case, the minimum temperature, 23.2 degrees C (73.8 degrees F), was substituted as TDO3. TDO3 values warmer than 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) indicate that oxythermal conditions were unsuitable for Cisco at the time of the survey.
Read the full DNR narrative
Data collected by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources during the period of maximum oxythermal stress (July 26th to Aug 24th) in 2007, 2018, 2024 indicated unsuitable oxythermal habitat in most years surveyed, with unfavorable conditions recored in 2018, 2024 when there was no suitable oxythermal habitat layer. When adequate oxythermal habitat is not available, Cisco are squeezed into unfavorable, warmer water conditions and experience higher levels of stress. Across ten fisheries surveys spanning the period of 1966-2018, Cisco catches have fluctuated and in 2024 no Ciscos were caught.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Newton Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Newton 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
- US Forest Service access (permit required): 0.3 mile portage connects to Fall Lk.
- US Forest Service access (permit required): 0.25 mile portage connects to Pipestone Bay of Basswood Lk.
DNR bathymetry
Newton Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Browns Lake · 219 ac · 2.4 mi
- Fall Lake · 2,259 ac · 2.8 mi
- Stub Lake · 89 ac · 2.8 mi
- Ella Hall Lake · 379 ac · 3.3 mi
- Cedar Lake · 465 ac · 3.9 mi
- Garden Lake · 653 ac · 4.6 mi
- Range Lake · 81 ac · 4.6 mi
- Low Lake · 316 ac · 4.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Newton Lake?
Newton Lake reaches 47 ft at its deepest point; about 69% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Newton Lake?
Newton Lake covers 516 acres with about 12.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Newton Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Newton Lake average 5 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Newton Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Newton Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Newton Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Newton Lake have a public access?
Yes. Newton Lake has 2 public access sites, including a US Forest Service access (0.3 mile portage connects to Fall Lk.).
How big do walleye get in Newton 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 1993.
When was Newton Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Newton Lake in 2025, the most recent of 10 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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