Minnesota · Isanti County
North Stanchfield Lake Fishing guide
North Stanchfield Lake covers 157 acres in Isanti County, Minnesota, reaching 11 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 3 times, most recently in 1991, with walleye, northern pike, bluegill and crappie in the nets. That survey is 35 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed North Stanchfield Lake in 1991. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Walleye
- Northern pike
- Bluegill
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
How to fish North Stanchfield 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 11-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 11-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 · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
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
Bluegill · Live bait
Clip-On Bobber + Worm
half to whole garden nightcrawler
Bluegill · 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.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | 320,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 1991 survey
north stanchfield lake has been surveyed four times since 1960 (1974, 1979, 1986, 1991). During 1991, the lake was assessed with three gillnets, four trapnets, and three shoreline areas were seined. The following paragraphs describe the gamefish populations in north stanchfield lake. The lake is managed as a warmwater gamefish lake. Spawning habitat for panfish and lmb is fair throughout the lake with the inlet and outlet providing fair spawning habitat for nop. Spawning habitat for wae is severely limited. North stanchfield is a shallow fertile lake which frequently winterkills. The wae net catch (7.33/ set) was between the lake class median (4.33/set) and the third quartile (15.67/set). Wae were not stocked into the lake, but were stocked into south stanchfield lake (1989 fry stocking) and moved through the channel into north stanchfield lake. The wae were two years old and ranged in length from 11.5 to 15.9 inches with a median length group of 12.0 to 12.9 inches. The back- calculated length at annulus two (11.39 inches) indicated a fast growing wae population. The average weight (0.71 pounds) was between the first quartile (0.68 pounds) and the lake class median (1.26 pounds). If the wae survive the frequent winterkills, they should maintain a fast growth rate in this very fertile lake. The nop net catch (5.33/set) was slightly above the lake class median (3.00/set) which was relatively unchanged from the 1986 net catch. The nop were large with a length range of 21.0 to 27.9 inches and a median length group of 23.0 to 23.9 inches. The average weight (3.08 pounds) was between the lake class median (1.95 pounds) and the third quartile (3.12 pounds) and has consistantly been between three and four pounds for previous surveys.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
North Stanchfield Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on North Stanchfield 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
- Public access: BOATS CAN BE LAUNCHED OFF OF THE COUNTY GRAVEL ROAD ALONG THE NW SHORE OF THE LAKE.
DNR bathymetry
North Stanchfield Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- South Stanchfield Lake · 411 ac · 1.5 mi
- Green Lake · 833 ac · 5.8 mi
- Spectacle Lake · 246 ac · 6.1 mi
- Lory Lake · 222 ac · 6.4 mi
- Lewis Lake · 179 ac · 7.7 mi
- Seventeen Lake · 32 ac · 10.6 mi
- Baxter Lake · 89 ac · 10.7 mi
- Little Stanchfield Lake · 146 ac · 10.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is North Stanchfield Lake?
North Stanchfield Lake reaches 11 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 6 ft; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is North Stanchfield Lake?
North Stanchfield Lake covers 157 acres with about 3.5 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in North Stanchfield Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1991) record walleye, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is North Stanchfield Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024.
Does North Stanchfield Lake have a public access?
Yes. North Stanchfield Lake has one public access site: Public access (BOATS CAN BE LAUNCHED OFF OF THE COUNTY GRAVEL ROAD ALONG THE NW SHORE OF THE LAKE.).
When was North Stanchfield Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed North Stanchfield Lake in 1991, the most recent of 3 surveys on record. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
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