Minnesota · St. Louis County
Oriniack Lake Fishing guide
Oriniack Lake sits in St. Louis County, Minnesota, and covers 744 acres, reaching 17 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 7 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 3 times, most recently in 2018, with walleye, northern pike, bluegill and yellow perch in the nets. That survey is 8 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeExcellent numbers9.9per gill net13"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 119 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 119 fish
2018Lengths measured · 113 fish
2003Northern pikeJust a few5.3per gill net20"Typical38"Biggest
Lengths measured · 64 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 64 fish
2018Lengths measured · 28 fish
2003No recent survey rating.
Yellow perchGood numbers5.3per gill net7"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 64 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 64 fish
2018Lengths measured · 34 fish
2003Rates 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 Oriniack 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 84% 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 17-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 84% 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 17-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 | Walleye | Northern pike | Yellow perch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 26" | 38" | 11" |
| 2003 | 24" | 38" | 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:
Walleye · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
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
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round 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 2018 survey
Oriniack Lake is located within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) within the Superior National Forest and is a non-motorized lake. It is approximately 14 miles north of Tower and one portage off of Trout Lake. It has a maximum depth of 17 feet and bog-stained water.
There is only one official access to Oriniack which is a 0.6 mile portage from Trout Lake. There is a 25 horsepower outboard motor limit on Trout Lake and snowmobiles are not allowed. Parties looking to access Oriniack can use a motor boat to cross Trout Lake and bring a canoe with them to use once they portage to Oriniack. BWCAW permits are required to visit Oriniack through an official entry point and there are four U. S. Forest Service maintained campsites on Oriniack.
Read the full DNR narrative
On June 12, 2018 Oriniack was weakly thermally stratified with a surface temperature of 70 F and a bottom temperature of 59 F. Oxygen levels were adequate for gamefish throughout the water column. Lake bottom substrates along the shoreline of Oriniack are dominated by boulder with a few sandy bays on the north side of the lake. Muck bottom bays exist throughout the rest of the lake. Aquatic plants are relatively sparse, however some aquatic vegetation was present off shore from the handful of sandy bays on the north side of the lake. One inlet enters on the south side of the lake from Merritt Lake and the only outlet (Hilda Creek) drains to the Vermilion River out of the northwest side of Oriniack.
There are no records of stocking in Oriniack Lake.
The overall gillnet catch rate for all fish combined was 25.1 fish/net which was second highest on record for the lake. Total yield was 34.1 pounds/net which was the highest on record. Fish species sampled were walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, white sucker, and rock bass.
One-hundred nineteen walleye were sampled for a catch rate of 9.9 fish/gill net. This catch rate was good when compared to other lakes in the Tower area. Sizes were also good with an average length of 14 inches with the largest walleye measuring nearly 27 inches. Growth rates were somewhat slow as is sometimes the case in bog-stained lakes. Walleye were aged up to 20 years old and the 2014 and 2015 year classes appeared strong.
The northern pike gillnet catch was 5.3 fish/net which was higher than normal compared to past surveys on the lake. Sizes were good with the average fish weighing nearly 3 pounds. The average length was just over 22 inches with the largest pike measuring nearly 39 inches. These sizes were similar to fish caught in previous surveys.
The yellow perch gillnet catch was 5.3 fish/net which was below average compared to past surveys. The average perch weighed nearly 1/4 of a pound with an average length of 8 inches and the biggest fish measuring nearly 12 inches.
White sucker and rock bass were also sampled in 2018. Both species numbers and sizes were comparable to past surveys.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Oriniack Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Oriniack 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
- US Forest Service access: 0.6 mile portage from Trout Lake.
DNR bathymetry
Oriniack Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Little Trout Lake · 528 ac · 3.1 mi
- Trout Lake · 7,425 ac · 3.3 mi
- Dugout Lake · 57 ac · 5.1 mi
- Chad Lake · 265 ac · 6.3 mi
- Picket Lake · 317 ac · 6.4 mi
- Wolf Lake · 179 ac · 6.5 mi
- Pine Lake · 830 ac · 6.7 mi
- Maude Lake · 95 ac · 7.1 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Oriniack Lake?
Oriniack Lake reaches 17 ft at its deepest point; about 84% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Oriniack Lake?
Oriniack Lake covers 744 acres with about 11.2 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Oriniack Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Oriniack Lake average 7 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Oriniack Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2018) record walleye, northern pike, bluegill, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Oriniack Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Oriniack Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Oriniack Lake have a public access?
Yes. Oriniack Lake has one public access site: US Forest Service access (0.6 mile portage from Trout Lake.).
How big do walleye get in Oriniack Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 26"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2003.
When was Oriniack Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Oriniack Lake in 2018, the most recent of 3 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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