Minnesota · Hubbard County
Ojibway Lake Fishing guide
Ojibway Lake covers 184 acres in Hubbard County, Minnesota, reaching 22 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 11.8 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 1 time, most recently in 2017, with largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and crappie in the nets. That survey is 9 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassFair numbers30per hr (electrofishing)14"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 37 fish
Northern pikeOne of the best around20per gill net20"Typical30"Biggest
Lengths measured · 65 fish
BluegillJust a few7.8per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 50 fish
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 Ojibway Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 11.8 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. With 72% 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.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. At 11.8 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. With 72% 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.
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:
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
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Bluegill · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner jighead
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 2017 survey
Ojibway Lake is located in south-central Hubbard County, five miles north of Dorset. Ojibway has a surface area of 184 acres and a maximum depth of 22 feet. There is a state-owned public access located on the southwest shore of the lake. Ojibway is connected to Dead Lake by a small channel. Boating between the two lakes is dependent upon water levels in the lakes. During the high water period of the late 1990s boating between the two lakes was easy, however during the summer of 2017 the channel was very shallow and boating was limited to small craft, with dragging and push poling in several spots. Ojibway has excellent water quality and clarity, and supports good populations of Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, and panfish.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different types based on physical, chemical, and other characteristics. Ojibway is in lake class 25. Class 25 lakes have the characteristics of hard water, good water clarity, and an irregular shaped shoreline. Other class 25 lakes in the area include Bad Axe, West Crooked, Spider, and Third Crow Wing Lake.
Read the full DNR narrative
Ojibway supports a healthy Largemouth Bass population both in numbers and size. Anglers will find good numbers of Largemouth Bass in the 12 to 16 inch size range and bass up to 19.7 inches were sampled during the survey. Good water quality, aquatic vegetation cover, and spawning substrate provide excellent habitat for Largemouth Bass in Ojibway. Present and past surveys have shown the panfish population in Ojibway to fluctuate from moderate to high numbers and can provide good fishing for Black Crappie, Bluegill, and Pumpkinseed. The panfish population in Ojibway is known more for numbers than size of fish. Anglers will find Black Crappie in the 9-11 inch size range, and Bluegill and Pumpkinseed in the 6-7 inch size range. Northern Pike are abundant in Ojibway with the population dominated by small, "hammer handle" pike. Sampled Northern Pike had an average length and weight of 19.6 inches and 1.5 pounds, with pike measured up to 30.9 inches. An abundant Yellow Bullhead population is also present in Ojibway.
Currently no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Ojibway. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boats before leaving the lake.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Ojibway Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Ojibway 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
- Ojibway (West Dead) Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Ojibway Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Dead Lake · 131 ac · 0.6 mi
- Upper Bottle Lake · 459 ac · 1.4 mi
- Gilmore Lake · 93 ac · 1.5 mi
- Emma Lake · 78 ac · 1.6 mi
- Lower Bottle Lake · 641 ac · 1.6 mi
- West Crooked Lake · 270 ac · 1.9 mi
- Little Sand Lake · 410 ac · 2.4 mi
- Stocking Lake · 102 ac · 2.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Ojibway Lake?
Ojibway Lake reaches 22 ft at its deepest point; about 72% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Ojibway Lake?
Ojibway Lake covers 184 acres with about 3.3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Ojibway Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Ojibway Lake average 11.8 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Ojibway Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2017) record largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Ojibway Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Ojibway Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Ojibway Lake have a public access?
Yes. Ojibway Lake has one public access site: Ojibway (West Dead) Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Ojibway Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 30".
When was Ojibway Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Ojibway Lake in 2017. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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