Minnesota · Hubbard County
Ninth Crow Wing Lake Fishing guide
Ninth Crow Wing Lake covers 232 acres in Hubbard County, Minnesota, reaching 65 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 12.4 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 13 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeFair numbers2.5per gill net12"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 19 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2023Lengths measured · 16 fish
2023Lengths measured · 3 fish
2021Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 13 fish
2018Lengths measured · 8 fish
2013Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Largemouth bassJust a few10.9per hr (electrofishing)9"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 37 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2023Lengths measured · 28 fish
2023Lengths measured · 9 fish
2021Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 134 fish
2018Lengths measured · 114 fish
2013No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeFair numbers6.5per gill net24"Typical37"Biggest
Lengths measured · 50 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2023Lengths measured · 46 fish
2023Lengths measured · 4 fish
2021Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 27 fish
2018Lengths measured · 139 fish
2013BluegillFair numbers36.3per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 713 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2023Lengths measured · 415 fish
2023Lengths measured · 298 fish
2021Lengths measured · 243 fish
2018Lengths measured · 233 fish
2013CrappieJust a few1.7per trap net7"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 80 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2023Lengths measured · 72 fish
2023Lengths measured · 8 fish
2021Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 45 fish
2018Lengths measured · 47 fish
2013Yellow perchGood numbers7.3per gill net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 49 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2023Lengths measured · 46 fish
2023Lengths measured · 3 fish
2021Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 57 fish
2018Lengths measured · 78 fish
2013Rock bassGood numbers0.9per seine haul7"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 16 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2023Lengths measured · 14 fish
2023Lengths measured · 2 fish
2021Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 4 fish
2018Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 5 fish
2013Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
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 Ninth Crow Wing Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 12.4 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 65 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 12.4 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 65 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 26" | 33" | 18" |
| 2021 | 26" | 37" | 16" |
| 2018 | 27" | 40" | 17" |
| 2013 | 27" | 41" | 18" |
| 2008 | 28" | 40" | 19" |
| 2003 | 25" | 31" | 18" |
| 1997 | 27" | 34" | 19" |
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.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements were collected from the deepest basin in Ninth Crow Wing Lake on July 30th, 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 55.1 feet), the water temperature decreased to 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) at 15.6 feet and the dissolved oxygen concentration decreased to 3.0 mg/L at 18.4 feet at the time of sampling. This layer in the water column was 2.8 feet, indicating oxythermal habitat for Cisco was present but marginal.
Further, the temperature at which dissolved oxygen decreased to 3.0 mg/L (i.e., TDO3, a single variable to characterize oxythermal habitat) was 18.4 degrees C (65.1 degrees F). TDO3 values cooler than 21.2 degrees C (70.2 degrees F) indicate that oxythermal conditions were marginal for Cisco at the time of the survey as the layer was confined to less than 3 feet of suitable habitat 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 2018 and 2022 also indicated suitable oxythermal habitat in all years surveyed, with the least favorable conditions recorded in 2018 when the suitable oxythermal habitat layer was 1.3 feet thick. When adequate oxythermal habitat is not available, Cisco are squeezed into unfavorable, warmer water conditions and experience higher levels of stress.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Ninth Crow Wing Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Ninth Crow Wing 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
- DNR access
DNR bathymetry
Ninth Crow Wing Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Tenth Crow Wing Lake · 175 ac · 1 mi
- Owl Lake · 90 ac · 1.4 mi
- Eighth Crow Wing Lake · 503 ac · 1.5 mi
- Indian Lake · 51 ac · 2.8 mi
- Eleventh Crow Wing Lake · 751 ac · 3.4 mi
- Ham Lake · 194 ac · 3.5 mi
- Seventh Crow Wing Lake · 262 ac · 3.7 mi
- Island Lake · 78 ac · 3.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Ninth Crow Wing Lake?
Ninth Crow Wing Lake reaches 65 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 17 ft; about 41% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Ninth Crow Wing Lake?
Ninth Crow Wing Lake covers 232 acres with about 3.7 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Ninth Crow Wing Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Ninth Crow Wing Lake average 12.4 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Ninth Crow Wing Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Ninth Crow Wing Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Ninth Crow Wing Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Ninth Crow Wing Lake have a public access?
Yes. Ninth Crow Wing Lake has one public access site: DNR access.
How big do walleye get in Ninth Crow Wing 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 1997.
When was Ninth Crow Wing Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Ninth Crow Wing Lake in 2025, the most recent of 13 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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