Minnesota · Crow Wing County
Ox Lake Fishing guide
Ox Lake covers 241 acres in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, reaching 74 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 1 time, most recently in 1990, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 36 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Ox Lake in 1990. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Walleye
- Largemouth bass
- Northern pike
- Bluegill
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
- Rock bass
How to fish Ox 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. On a lake that drops to 74 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
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. On a lake that drops to 74 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- 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:
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
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
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.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 1990 survey
Low populations were indicated for black crappie, white sucker, brown bullhead, yellow perch and walleye. Largemouth bass, and pumpkinseed numbers appear to be average. High numbers of northern pike, yellow bullhead, rock bass, and bluegill were indicated. Northern pike growth rates were above average for age 1 fish and average for age 2 and 3. Bluegill growth rates were below average.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Ox Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Ox 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.
DNR bathymetry
Ox Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Island Lake · 232 ac · 0.8 mi
- Rush Lake · 858 ac · 1.9 mi
- Daggett Lake · 258 ac · 1.9 mi
- Big Trout Lake · 1,366 ac · 2.1 mi
- Little Pine Lake · 330 ac · 2.2 mi
- West Fox Lake · 449 ac · 2.6 mi
- East Fox Lake · 241 ac · 3 mi
- Pleasant Lake · 22 ac · 3.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Ox Lake?
Ox Lake reaches 74 ft at its deepest point; about 44% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Ox Lake?
Ox Lake covers 241 acres with about 4.6 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Ox Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1990) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Ox Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Ox Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
When was Ox Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Ox Lake in 1990. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
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