Minnesota · Crow Wing County

Nokay Lake Fishing guide

Nokay Lake covers 704 acres in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, reaching 42 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 13 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 8 times, most recently in 2020, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 6 years old now.

Open the live map → Survey data

Depth to 42 ft · top 5 summer marks

Surface704 ac

Max depth42 ft

Clarity13 ft

Littoral31%

Surveyed2020

How to fish Nokay 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 13 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 42 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 13 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 42 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
2020	16"	26"	31"
2014	18"	27"	36"
2008	16"	24"	37"
2002	19"	29"	31"
1997	14"	26"	29"

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

1–25 ftdead slow

Shop plastic worms →

Largemouth bass · Soft plastics

Free Rig

Creature bait or magnum finesse worm

8–30 ftdead slowweedless

Shop creature baits →

Walleye · Live bait

Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler

jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler

8–35 ftslow

Shop octopus hooks →

Walleye · Trolling

Leadcore Line + Crankbaits

4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run

15–45 fttrolling

Shop deep-diving crankbaits →

Northern pike · Soft plastics

Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead

4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead

3–25 ftmoderate

Shop paddletail swimbaits →

Northern pike · Muskie & pike

Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)

10" soft rubber body bait

3–25 ftslow

Shop musky rubber →

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	220,000 fry
2023	Walleye	4,599 fingerlings
2021	Walleye	400 fry
2020	Walleye	3,600 fingerlings · 160 yearlings
2019	Walleye	220,000 fry
2017	Walleye	941 yearlings

MN DNR · in their words

From the 2020 survey

Nokay Lake is a 660 acre lake located 10 miles east of Brainerd in Crow Wing County. A small public access is located on the west side of the lake. Nokay reaches depths of 42 feet, with 33% of the lake 15' deep or less. The shoreline is moderately developed with one resort present. Extensive bulrush beds are located around the lake and around Hiawatha Island. Protection of aquatic vegetation, especially emergent vegetation, is important for maintaining good water quality. Aquatic vegetation is critical for fish spawning areas as well as providing habitat for fish and other aquatic life.

Walleye numbers in 2020 were below average when compared to similar lakes, at 1.2/gill net. The Walleyes sampled had an average length of 18.8". Natural reproduction is minimal with the majority of Walleyes coming from fingerling stocking occurring every third year.

Read the full DNR narrative

Northern Pike numbers were high at 9.5/gill net. Average length was 20.8", with 26% in the protected 22"-26" slot. Northern Pike at least 26" in length made up 5% of the catch. Lakes in this part of the state have a new Northern Pike regulation enacted in 2018: possession limit of 10 with not more than 2 over 26". All from 22"-26" must be immediately released. Please refer to the current Minnesota Fishing Regulations for additional information.

Black Crappies were captured in average numbers at 1.3/gill net. Average length was 7.7" with 38% being over 8" in length. Largemouth Bass were sampled in high numbers at 3.0/gill net. Largemouth Bass averaged 13.4", with 23% measuring 15" or greater.

No invasive species have been discovered in Nokay Lake, but they are located in the area. Before and after launching, lake users are required to inspect and remove any aquatic plants and animals from their watercraft and trailers as well as remove the plug and drain all water from the watercraft, including bilges, livewells and baitwells.

Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.

Recent reports

Nokay Lake fishing reports

Recent reports on Nokay 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.

Open the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report

Crow Wing County reports

Public water access

Getting on the water

Nokay Lake (trailer launch)

DNR bathymetry

Nokay Lake depth map

Nokay Lake depth contour map, Crow Wing County, Minnesota — Depth contours to 42 ft from Minnesota DNR bathymetry, free to save or print. The live map adds ranked spots and conditions on the same contours.

Within 30 miles

Nearby lakes

Clearwater Lake · 906 ac · 2.7 mi
Portage Lake · 287 ac · 3 mi
Crooked Lake · 463 ac · 3.1 mi
Hanks Lake · 165 ac · 3.4 mi
Lookout Lake · 237 ac · 4 mi
Bay Lake · 2,330 ac · 5.1 mi
Upper South Long Lake · 804 ac · 5.9 mi
Partridge Lake · 188 ac · 6.4 mi

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

How deep is Nokay Lake?

Nokay Lake reaches 42 ft at its deepest point; about 31% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).

How big is Nokay Lake?

Nokay Lake covers 704 acres with about 6.3 miles of shoreline.

How clear is the water in Nokay Lake?

DNR Secchi readings on Nokay Lake average 13 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.

What fish are in Nokay Lake?

Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2020) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.

Is Nokay Lake stocked?

Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.

Does Nokay Lake have a public access?

Yes. Nokay Lake has one public access site: Nokay Lake (trailer launch).

How big do largemouth bass get in Nokay Lake?

The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 18"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1997.

When was Nokay Lake last surveyed?

The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Nokay Lake in 2020, the most recent of 8 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.

Page updated September 22, 2026.

The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Nokay Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:

Open Nokay Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report