Minnesota · Itasca County
Owen Lake Fishing guide
Owen Lake sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, and covers 268 acres, reaching 34 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 11.5 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 8 times, most recently in 2018, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets. That survey is 8 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2018Fair numbers1.7per gill net19"Typical21"Biggest
Lengths measured · 10 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 10 fish
2018Lengths measured · 5 fish
2008Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 9 fish
2000Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 12 fish
1994Largemouth bassGood numbers66.9per hr (electrofishing)8"Typical15"Biggest
Lengths measured · 144 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 144 fish
2018Lengths measured · 82 fish
2008Lengths measured · 18 fish
2000Lengths measured · 20 fish
1994Northern pikeFair numbers9.7per gill net24"Typical39"Biggest
Lengths measured · 64 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 64 fish
2018Lengths measured · 75 fish
2008Lengths measured · 74 fish
2000Lengths measured · 52 fish
1994BluegillJust a few12per trap net6"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 168 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 168 fish
2018Lengths measured · 225 fish
2008Lengths measured · 376 fish
2000Lengths measured · 428 fish
1994CrappieJust a few2.3per trap net8"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 42 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 42 fish
2018Lengths measured · 22 fish
2008Lengths measured · 49 fish
2000Lengths measured · 49 fish
1994Yellow perchGood numbers10.8per gill net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 66 fish
Recent · 2018Lengths measured · 66 fish
2018Lengths measured · 58 fish
2008Lengths measured · 54 fish
2000Lengths measured · 126 fish
1994Rates 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 Owen 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 11.5 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 70% 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.
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 11.5 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. With 70% 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 15" | 21" | 39" |
| 2008 | 18" | 20" | 37" |
| 2000 | 15" | 22" | 35" |
| 1994 | 17" | 22" | 30" |
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
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
Walleye · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Trolling
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Walleye | 4,675 fingerlings |
| 2016 | Walleye | 5,086 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2018 survey
Owen Lake is in ecological lake class 32 and is located in the Little Fork River Watershed. The lake is 257 acres and has a maximum depth of 34 feet. A survey targeting nearshore fish species was conducted by Area staff on 25 June, 2018. Ten sampling sites (100 feet long) were evenly spaced around the lake shore, sampling a variety of habitat types. Each site is sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-ft or 15-ft 1/8th inch mesh seine, depending on habitat condition.
Shoreline seining was conducted at eight sites; using the 50-ft seine at four and the 15-ft seine at four. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 10 sites. Nearshore sampling captured a total of nine different species; seven species by seining and five species by backpack electrofishing. The species can be found in the gear-specific catch tables in this report.
Nearshore catches will be used with the gill net and trap net data from the standard survey conducted on 2 July, 2018, to calculate a fish-based Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) score which is indicative of lake health. The surveys will assist the watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Owen Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Owen 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
- Owen Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Owen Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Lost Lake · 89 ac · 1.1 mi
- Napoleon Lake · 138 ac · 1.3 mi
- Anderson Lake · 295 ac · 3.4 mi
- Wasson Lake · 438 ac · 4.2 mi
- White Swan Lake · 165 ac · 4.3 mi
- Wilson Lake · 92 ac · 4.5 mi
- Beaver Lake · 58 ac · 4.5 mi
- Antler Lake · 234 ac · 4.6 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Owen Lake?
Owen Lake reaches 34 ft at its deepest point; about 70% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Owen Lake?
Owen Lake covers 268 acres with about 7.3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Owen Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Owen Lake average 11.5 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Owen Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2018) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Owen Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2018; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Owen Lake have a public access?
Yes. Owen Lake has one public access site: Owen Lake (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Owen Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 15"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1994.
When was Owen Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Owen Lake in 2018, the most recent of 8 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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