Minnesota · Itasca County
No-ta-she-bun Lake Fishing guide
No-ta-she-bun Lake sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, and covers 239 acres, reaching 45 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 17.2 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 10 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Northern pikeJust a few4per gill net25"Typical39"Biggest
Lengths measured · 25 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 25 fish
2023Lengths measured · 36 fish
2013Lengths measured · 34 fish
2011Lengths measured · 38 fish
2000BluegillJust a few23per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 209 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 209 fish
2023Lengths measured · 361 fish
2013Lengths measured · 165 fish
2011Lengths measured · 286 fish
2000Rates 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 No-ta-she-bun Lake through the year
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. At 17.2 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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. On a lake that drops to 45 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 17.2 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 45 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.
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 | Largemouth bass | Walleye | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 12" | 26" | 39" |
| 2013 | 13" | 26" | 34" |
| 2011 | 13" | 27" | 36" |
| 2000 | 16" | 26" | 29" |
| 1996 | 15" | 24" | 28" |
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:
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
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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Walleye | 1,223 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2023 survey
No-ta-she-bun Lake, also known as Willow Lake, is located about eight miles northeast of Remer, MN. The lake borders the Chippewa National Forest, but most of the shoreline is in private ownership. There is a state-administered access on the northwest shore along with a state rest area. There are no defined inlets and one outlet, the Willow River.
The lake management plan (LMP) was last amended in 2017. Northern Pike and Largemouth Bass were the primary management species and Black Crappie were considered a secondary species. A standard lake survey utilizing gill nets and trap nets was conducted in June 2023 to update information on the fishery. No boat night electrofishing for bass was conducted due to staff and workload constraints. Additional sampling for near-shore fishes was conducted to calculate an Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) score. That sampling utilized back-pack electrofishing and seining gear and is summarized in a separate report.
Read the full DNR narrative
The Northern Pike population has low to moderate numbers and a favorable size structure. Lower pike densities are desirable because they often result in faster growth rates and high-quality size structure. The gill-net catch for Northern Pike was at the low end of the expected range and near the LMP goal. Size structure remained favorable as pike ranged from 19.8 to 39.2 inches and averaged 26.1 inches. Six year-classes from age 3 to 9 were identified, with faster than average growth rates. Northern Pike approached 25 inches after 4 years of growth. Anglers and spearers are encouraged to limit harvest of larger pike to help maintain the good quality size structure.
Net catches for Black Crappie tend to be variable because of their habit of suspending in the water column in off-shore areas. Gill-net catches have varied from 0.2 to 18.5/net in past surveys. The 2023 catch rate of 1.0/net was below average for the lake, but within the expected range for the lakes with similar habitat. Only one crappie was sampled in trap nets. The few crappie sampled were of favorable size ranging from 10.4 to 12.7 inches.
The Walleye gill-net catch was below the expected range for similar lakes, but typical for No-ta-she-bun. The four Walleye sampled ranged from 17.3 to 26.5 inches. Meaningful evaluations of age structure and growth cannot be drawn from such a small sample size. Two of the four Walleye did correspond to previously stocked year-classes. Past stocking did not appear to contribute substantially to the population and was discontinued. Lakes like No-ta-she-bun rarely produce quality Walleye fisheries due to habitat, fish community and prey base limitations.
Only one Yellow Perch was sampled for a catch rate of 0.2/gill net. This was well below the expected range and the lowest catch on record.
The Bluegill population has typically had moderate numbers and poor size structure. The 2023 trap-net catch was typical for No-ta-she-bun and lakes with similar habitat. Size structure improved from past surveys. Sampled Bluegill ranged from 3.2 to 9.0 inches and averaged 6.6 inches. Fourteen percent of the sampled exceeded the preferred-length of 8 inches. Bluegill were not aged in this survey but previous surveys reported slower than average growth rates. No-ta-she-bun provides fair angling opportunities for moderate-sized Bluegill.
Largemouth Bass were sampled in low numbers with fish ranging from 8 to 12.9 inches. Previous surveys employing electrofishing showed No-ta-she-bun contains good numbers of small to medium-sized bass.
Other species sampled in test nets included Golden Shiner, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Rock Bass, White Sucker and Yellow Bullhead.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
No-ta-she-bun Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on No-ta-she-bun 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
- No-ta-she-bun Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
No-ta-she-bun Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Sugar Lake · 699 ac · 3.1 mi
- Leighton Lake · 245 ac · 3.3 mi
- South Sugar Lake · 83 ac · 4.4 mi
- Vermillion Lake · 410 ac · 4.7 mi
- Siseebakwet Lake · 1,210 ac · 4.7 mi
- Rice Lake · 863 ac · 6 mi
- Guile Lake · 88 ac · 7.6 mi
- Lower Milton Lake · 79 ac · 7.7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is No-ta-she-bun Lake?
No-ta-she-bun Lake reaches 45 ft at its deepest point; about 30% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is No-ta-she-bun Lake?
No-ta-she-bun Lake covers 239 acres with about 3.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in No-ta-she-bun Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on No-ta-she-bun Lake average 17.2 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in No-ta-she-bun Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is No-ta-she-bun Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2016.
Does No-ta-she-bun Lake have a public access?
Yes. No-ta-she-bun Lake has one public access site: No-ta-she-bun Lake (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in No-ta-she-bun Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 12"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1996.
When was No-ta-she-bun Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed No-ta-she-bun Lake in 2023, the most recent of 10 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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