Minnesota · Anoka County
Peltier Lake Fishing guide
Peltier Lake sits in Anoka County, Minnesota, and covers 552 acres, reaching 18 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 4.4 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 18 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and muskellunge in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassJust a few10.8per hr (electrofishing)9"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 19 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2025Lengths measured · 5 fish
2025Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 14 fish
2021Lengths measured · 11 fish
2016Lengths measured · 31 fish
2010Northern pikeGood numbers13.4per gill net22"Typical36"Biggest
Lengths measured · 173 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2025Lengths measured · 90 fish
2025Lengths measured · 83 fish
2021Lengths measured · 49 fish
2016Lengths measured · 68 fish
2013Last recorded in the 1997 survey and not seen since.
BluegillJust a few15.4per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 384 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2025Lengths measured · 262 fish
2025Lengths measured · 122 fish
2021Lengths measured · 125 fish
2016Lengths measured · 46 fish
2013CrappieJust a few4.7per trap net7"Typical14"Biggest
Lengths measured · 372 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2025Lengths measured · 33 fish
2025Lengths measured · 339 fish
2021Lengths measured · 182 fish
2016Lengths measured · 146 fish
2013Yellow perchGood numbers5.3per gill net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 78 fish
Recent · 2021 + 2025Lengths measured · 57 fish
2025Lengths measured · 21 fish
2021Lengths measured · 72 fish
2016Lengths measured · 81 fish
2013No recent survey rating.
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 Peltier Lake through the year
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 75% 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 18-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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 75% 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 18-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 | Northern pike | Walleye | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 36" | 24" | 18" |
| 2021 | 30" | 21" | 17" |
| 2016 | 33" | — | 18" |
| 2013 | 31" | 22" | — |
| 2010 | 33" | 24" | 17" |
| 2008 | 35" | — | 18" |
| 2007 | 30" | — | 10" |
| 2002 | 31" | 22" | 15" |
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:
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
Walleye · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | 412,000 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 412,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 412,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 412,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 412,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 412,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 412,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Peltier Lake is a 551 acre, class 38 lake, located in eastern Anoka County within the Rice Creek watershed. A dam was constructed at the outlet to control the water level of Peltier and Centerville Lakes. Winter aeration via pump and baffle system has been operated as needed since 1988. Peltier Lake is part of a study called the Sentinel Lakes Project, which includes increased fish, habitat, and water quality sampling. A water level drawdown was conducted in the fall of 2017 in an attempt to control non-native curly-leaf pondweed. Walleye are the primary management species and have been stocked most years since 2013. This survey was conducted using gill nets and trap nets in August 2025. The previous survey was done in June 2021.
Only one 24.7 inch Walleye was sampled in the survey. Walleye fry have been stocked consistently almost every year since 2008.
Read the full DNR narrative
Northern Pike were sampled in above average numbers in this survey (14.3per gill net). Northern Pike lengths ranged from 16.9 to 36.2 inches, with an average of 23.3 inches. Most Pike were within the 20 to 25 inch range.
Bluegill numbers increased drastically from previous surveys with a trap net catch rate of 24.6/net, up from just 9. 1/net in 2021. The current rate is above average for similar lakes. Bluegill caught in trap nets were generally small, ranging from 3.1 to 8.5 inches. Bluegill ages ranged from 1 to 8 years old with the 2023 year class (2 years old) having by far the most fish. There was a spike of 7 year old fish, indicating a strong year class in 2018.
The significant increase in Bluegill numbers since 2021 may have influenced Black Crappie numbers in 2025. Black Crappie were caught in trap nets at a rate of 2.4 per net and gill nets at a rate of 3.5 per net, a major decrease from the 2021 survey, where the gill net catch rate was 48.5/net (highest gillnet catch rate ever observed in Peltier Lake). Black Crappie lengths ranged from 5.1 to 10.3inches, with an average of just under 8 inches.
Yellow Perch were sampled at a rate of 7.7 per gill net, an increase from the 2.8 per net in 2021, but significantly down from previous surveys dating back to 2009. Yellow Perch had a length range of 5.7 to 8.5 inches, with an average length of 6.6 inches. Perch ages ranged from 2 to 5 years old, with almost 90 percent of individuals being age 2 or 3.
Largemouth Bass were sampled at a rate of 0.8 per gill net (5 total sampled). Electrofishing is the preferred method for sampling Largemouth Bass, as netting gears are not effective in assessing Largemouth Bass populations. Bass lengths ranged from 8.9 to 18.7 inches, with an average length of 11.2 inches.
Other fish species sampled in low numbers in 2025 included: Black Bullhead, Bowfin (dogfish), Brown Bullhead, Common Carp, Hybrid Sunfish, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Peltier Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Peltier 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
- Peltier Lake (trailer launch)
- Peltier Lake Fishing Pier (fishing pier)
DNR bathymetry
Peltier Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Centerville Lake · 474 ac · 1.7 mi
- Reshanau Lake · 337 ac · 3.1 mi
- Otter Lake · 302 ac · 4.3 mi
- Loch Ness Lake · 10 ac · 4.7 mi
- Bald Eagle Lake · 1,049 ac · 4.9 mi
- Golden Lake · 58 ac · 5.6 mi
- Clear Lake · 429 ac · 6.1 mi
- Pleasant Lake · 607 ac · 6.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Peltier Lake?
Peltier Lake reaches 18 ft at its deepest point; about 75% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Peltier Lake?
Peltier Lake covers 552 acres with about 8.2 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Peltier Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Peltier Lake average 4.4 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Peltier Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, muskellunge, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, channel catfish.
Is Peltier Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Peltier Lake have a public access?
Yes. Peltier Lake has 2 public access sites, including Peltier Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Peltier Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 36"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2002.
When was Peltier Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Peltier Lake in 2025, the most recent of 18 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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