Minnesota · Cass County
Norway Lake Fishing guide
Norway Lake sits in Cass County, Minnesota, and covers 515 acres, reaching 12 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 7 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 5 times, most recently in 2021, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
Largemouth bassPresent2per gill net14"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 11 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 11 fish
2021Lengths measured · 1 fish
2009Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 4 fish
1997Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Northern pikeOne of the best around20.8per gill net20"Typical29"Biggest
Lengths measured · 85 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 85 fish
2021Lengths measured · 86 fish
2009Lengths measured · 63 fish
1997BluegillJust a few8.1per trap net5"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 113 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 113 fish
2021Lengths measured · 772 fish
2009Lengths measured · 426 fish
1997CrappieJust a few0.3per trap net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 21 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 21 fish
2021Lengths measured · 15 fish
2009Lengths measured · 19 fish
1997Yellow perchGood numbers9per gill net6"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 38 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 38 fish
2021Lengths measured · 59 fish
2009Lengths measured · 185 fish
1997Rates 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 Norway Lake through the year
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 12-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn.
- 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. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze. A 12-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.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Northern pike | Largemouth bass | Yellow perch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 29" | 18" | 10" |
| 2009 | 34" | 10" | 11" |
| 1997 | 32" | 12" | 8" |
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:
Northern pike · Hardbaits
Weedless Spoon + Trailer (Silver Minnow)
3/8–1/2 oz weedless spoon
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Tokyo Rig
Creature bait or craw Texas-rigged on the rig's hook
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Yellow perch · Live bait
Slip Bobber + Leech
jumbo or large leech
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 2021 survey
While there was a fair number of fish caught during the 2021 survey on Norway Lake, no species really stood out as a species to travel to the lake and target. Northern Pike numbers were the high at 20.8/gill net and average size was 20.4". While 28% fell within the 22-26" protected slot there were plenty below (60%) to harvest and enough larger fish above 26" (12%) to keep things interesting. Walleyes are not stocked into Norway and none were caught for the second straight survey.
Black Crappie numbers were average for this type of lake (4.8/gill net). With 48% of the fish over 8", there are some harvestable fish, however, the largest fish captured was only 9.5". Bluegill numbers were also average at 8.1/trap net, but size was small. Average length was only 5.4" and only 3% were 7" or larger. Yellow Perch were present in average numbers (9.0/gill net) and fish up to 10.8" were captured.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Norway Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Norway 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
- Norway Lake North (trailer launch)
- Norway Lake (carry-in)
- Norway Lake Fishing Pier (fishing pier)
DNR bathymetry
Norway Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Hattie Lake · 588 ac · 5.6 mi
- Lizzie Lake · 414 ac · 5.7 mi
- Jail Lake · 184 ac · 6.5 mi
- Lind Lake · 440 ac · 6.6 mi
- Bowen Lake · 182 ac · 6.7 mi
- Johnson Lake · 90 ac · 6.8 mi
- Sanborn Lake · 220 ac · 7 mi
- Ada Lake · 963 ac · 7.1 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Norway Lake?
Norway Lake reaches 12 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Norway Lake?
Norway Lake covers 515 acres with about 4.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Norway Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Norway Lake average 7 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Norway Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2021) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Norway Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Norway Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Norway Lake have a public access?
Yes. Norway Lake has 3 public access sites, including Norway Lake North (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Norway Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 29"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1997.
When was Norway Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Norway Lake in 2021, the most recent of 5 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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