Minnesota · Itasca County
Peterson Lake Fishing guide
Peterson Lake sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, and covers 163 acres, reaching 55 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 11.3 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 6 times, most recently in 2020, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets. That survey is 6 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassLast stocked 2022Fair numbers22.4per hr (electrofishing)16"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 33 fish
Recent · 2015Lengths measured · 33 fish
2015Lengths measured · 11 fish
2000No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeFair numbers7.8per gill net18"Typical31"Biggest
Lengths measured · 63 fish
Recent · 2015 + 2020Lengths measured · 22 fish
2020Lengths measured · 41 fish
2015Lengths measured · 72 fish
2000BluegillLast stocked 2022Just a few17.9per trap net6"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 166 fish
Recent · 2015Lengths measured · 1 fish
2020Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 166 fish
2015Lengths measured · 65 fish
2000CrappieJust a few1.2per trap net2"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 105 fish
Recent · 2015 + 2020Lengths measured · 74 fish
2020Lengths measured · 31 fish
2015Lengths measured · 12 fish
2000Yellow perchFair numbers3.5per gill net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 84 fish
Recent · 2015 + 2020Lengths measured · 67 fish
2020Lengths measured · 17 fish
2015Lengths measured · 70 fish
2000Rates 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 Peterson 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 11.3 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 55 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 11.3 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 55 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 | Walleye |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | — | 30" | — |
| 2015 | 19" | 31" | 22" |
| 2000 | 16" | 34" | 19" |
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
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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Bluegill Sunfish | 150 adults |
| 2022 | Largemouth Bass | 30 adults |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2020 survey
Peterson Lake is 130 acres with a large proportion less than 15 feet deep (94 acres). The lake has a history of partial winterkills. Lakeshore residents suspected a partial winterkill in 2018/2019 but the extent was not determined. Shoreline residents again reported possible winterkill in 2019/2020 as dead fish were observed in the spring. Winterkill conditions were observed on other area lakes.
Test netting was conducted mid-August to help sample or observe young of the year fish to determine if production occurred in the spring. Three standard gill nets, two standard trap nets and two small mesh trap nets were set at likely locations and not comparable to past effort. Gill nets sampled Black Crappie, Northern Pike and Yellow Perch at rates of 0.3, 5.6 and 17.3 per net, respectively. Pike and perch were caught in a wide range of lengths indicating multiple ages were present in the sample. Angling opportunities for pike and perch will be favorable in the very near future as pike over 30 inches and perch over 8 inches were sampled.
Read the full DNR narrative
Standard trap nets caught Black Crappie, Brown Bullhead, Northern Pike and Yellow Perch while small mesh trap nets caught Black Crappie, Bluegill, Bluntnose Minnow, Brown Bullhead, Central Mudminnow, Golden Shiner, Northern Pike, Tadpole Madtom and Yellow Perch. A high proportion of Black Crappie caught in trap nets were less than three inches and were from spring 2020 production. Angling opportunities for crappie will likely be decent in a few years.
Peterson Lake and the fish community appear to be fairly resilient to winterkill. There appears to be enough habitat available to protect enough fish to repopulate the lake at this time. Connectivity to Little Peterson or South Ackerman may also help to repopulate the lake.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Peterson Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Peterson 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
- Peterson Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Peterson Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- East Lake · 111 ac · 2.4 mi
- Big Too Much Lake · 292 ac · 2.5 mi
- Long Lake · 155 ac · 3.7 mi
- Jessie Lake · 1,740 ac · 4 mi
- Hatch Lake · 226 ac · 4.3 mi
- Little Turtle Lake · 492 ac · 4.3 mi
- Arrowhead Lake · 139 ac · 4.6 mi
- Trestle Lake · 111 ac · 5.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Peterson Lake?
Peterson Lake reaches 55 ft at its deepest point; about 58% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Peterson Lake?
Peterson Lake covers 163 acres with about 3.2 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Peterson Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Peterson Lake average 11.3 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Peterson Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2020) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Peterson Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked bluegill sunfish and largemouth bass in 2022.
Does Peterson Lake have a public access?
Yes. Peterson Lake has one public access site: Peterson Lake (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Peterson 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 2000.
When was Peterson Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Peterson Lake in 2020, the most recent of 6 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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