Minnesota · Clearwater County
Ozawindib Lake Fishing guide
Ozawindib Lake is a 159-acre lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota, reaching 80 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 14.3 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 11 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
Largemouth bassFair numbers29.1per hr (electrofishing)9"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 109 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 104 fish
2025Lengths measured · 5 fish
2022Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 15 fish
2020Lengths measured · 59 fish
2015Northern pikeJust a few5.7per gill net18"Typical36"Biggest
Lengths measured · 48 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 41 fish
2025Lengths measured · 7 fish
2022Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 56 fish
2020Lengths measured · 66 fish
2015BluegillFair numbers30.3per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 572 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 386 fish
2025Lengths measured · 186 fish
2022Lengths measured · 229 fish
2020Lengths measured · 505 fish
2015CrappieJust a few0.7per trap net8"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 18 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 14 fish
2025Lengths measured · 4 fish
2022Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 20 fish
2020Lengths measured · 468 fish
2015Rock bassFair numbers0.4per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 13 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 8 fish
2025Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 5 fish
2022Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 13 fish
2020Lengths measured · 17 fish
2015Rates 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 Ozawindib 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 14.3 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. On a lake that drops to 80 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.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 14.3 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. On a lake that drops to 80 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
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 | Northern pike | Bluegill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 19" | 36" | 8" |
| 2022 | 13" | 27" | 8" |
| 2020 | 16" | 37" | 7" |
| 2015 | 18" | 34" | 8" |
| 2001 | 19" | 28" | 9" |
| 1993 | 19" | 28" | 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:
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
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Bluegill · Live bait
Clip-On Bobber + Worm
half to whole garden nightcrawler
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 2025 survey
Lake Ozawindib is a remote 159-acre lake with a maximum depth of 80 feet located within Itasca State Park in southern Clearwater County. There is a public water access with concrete ramp and parking for 4 vehicles/trailers located on the north shore of the lake off of Wilderness Drive. There is also an accessible fishing pier located at the parking area. A State Park daily or annual vehicle permit is required to access lakes within the park.
Special regulations on Lake Ozawindib consist of a reduced 5-fish bag limit for Black Crappie and a protected slot limit for Largemouth Bass (all fish from 14 to 20 inches must be immediately released with one fish over 20 inches in length allowed in possession). Statewide fishing regulations apply to all other species in Lake Ozawindib. The lake is managed for Northern Pike, Black Crappie and Largemouth Bass. The lake contains excellent habitat for all fish species present.
Read the full DNR narrative
The 2025 survey showed a quality Northern Pike population. Pike up to nearly 37 inches in length were captured with a good average size of nearly 23 inches and 3.5 pounds. Thirty-five percent of pike captured in offshore nets were greater than 26 inches in length.
Black Crappie and Bluegill were captured in strong numbers. Catch rates were above average compared to similar lakes in the state for both species but exceptionally high for Bluegill. Anglers can expect to catch Bluegill from 5 to 8 inches in length and Black Crappie up to around 10 inches in length with the occasional larger fish mixed in for both species. An accessible fishing pier located near the boat ramp offers a good shore fishing opportunity for these species.
Largemouth Bass were targeted with electrofishing gear earlier in the summer and captured in good numbers in a relatively short amount of time. Lengths exceeding 19 inches were found along with an ample number of "eater" sized fish just below the 14-20 inch protected slot.
Other species of fish captured were Yellow Perch, Yellow Bullhead, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Hybrid Sunfish, Green Sunfish and Rock Bass.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Ozawindib Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Ozawindib 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
- Ozawindib Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Ozawindib Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Heart Lake · 225 ac · 2.5 mi
- Itasca Lake · 1,065 ac · 3.6 mi
- Long Lake · 159 ac · 3.6 mi
- Elk Lake · 303 ac · 3.8 mi
- Cox Lake · 61 ac · 5.1 mi
- Mary Lake · 56 ac · 5.7 mi
- Big LaSalle Lake · 235 ac · 6.5 mi
- Long Lost Lake · 539 ac · 7.1 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Ozawindib Lake?
Ozawindib Lake reaches 80 ft at its deepest point; about 40% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Ozawindib Lake?
Ozawindib Lake covers 159 acres with about 4.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Ozawindib Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Ozawindib Lake average 14.3 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Ozawindib Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Ozawindib Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Ozawindib Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Ozawindib Lake have a public access?
Yes. Ozawindib Lake has one public access site: Ozawindib Lake (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Ozawindib Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 19"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1993.
When was Ozawindib Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Ozawindib Lake in 2025, the most recent of 11 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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