Minnesota · Crow Wing County
Pig Lake Fishing guide
Pig Lake is a 196-acre lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, reaching 56 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 15.8 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 8 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassPresent1.3per gill net9"Typical15"Biggest
Lengths measured · 15 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 15 fish
2024Lengths measured · 4 fish
2018Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 7 fish
2011Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 46 fish
2005No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeFair numbers8per gill net22"Typical32"Biggest
Lengths measured · 57 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 57 fish
2024Lengths measured · 106 fish
2018Lengths measured · 74 fish
2011Lengths measured · 92 fish
2005BluegillFair numbers26.3per trap net5"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 285 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 285 fish
2024Lengths measured · 202 fish
2018Lengths measured · 191 fish
2011Lengths measured · 391 fish
2005Yellow perchGood numbers10.3per gill net6"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 67 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 67 fish
2024Lengths measured · 14 fish
2018Lengths measured · 17 fish
2011Lengths measured · 17 fish
2005Rock bassExcellent numbers5.7per gill net6"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 48 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 48 fish
2024Lengths measured · 43 fish
2018Lengths measured · 57 fish
2011Lengths measured · 36 fish
2005Rates 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 Pig Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 15.8 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. On a lake that drops to 56 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.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 15.8 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 56 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 | Walleye | Northern pike | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 27" | 32" | 15" |
| 2018 | 28" | 29" | 15" |
| 2011 | 29" | 32" | 11" |
| 2005 | 27" | 37" | 13" |
| 2000 | 29" | 33" | 15" |
| 1995 | 28" | 32" | 5" |
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:
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
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
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 2024 survey
Pig Lake is accessed through Whitefish Lake and seems more like a large bay than a separate lake. An old township road access on the south shore is now used by the Ideal Fire Department and is gated off; the gate is opened for winter access.
Northern Pike were caught in moderate numbers (8.0/net) with an average length of 23.1". Some decent fish can be found, with 19% measuring over 26" and fish up to 32.7" sampled. Walleye numbers were lower at 1.3/net, but average length was quite large at 20.0". Pig is not stocked directly with Walleyes, but connected Whitefish is stocked every year.
Read the full DNR narrative
Bluegill (26.3/net) were quite small, with an average length of 4.9" and only 2% measuring 7" or larger. It is possible that larger Bluegill had already vacated the shallows or were nesting, making them difficult to sample. Only three Black Crappies were caught and ranged from 8.9"-10.6". Based on these results, anglers may want to look elsewhere in the chain to target Panfish. A special regulation on the Whitefish Chain reduced the daily limit of Sunfish and Crappie to 5 of each in 2021.
Largemouth Bass electrofishing was conducted at various stations across the Whitefish Chain of Lakes, resulting in a combined catch rate of 44.9/hour. Average length was 13.1" and 39% were over 14", with fish up to 19.2" sampled. Three Smallmouth Bass were also netted while electrofishing and all of them were over 16".
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Pig Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Pig 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
- Public access: Via channel from Lower Whitefish Lake.
- County access
DNR bathymetry
Pig Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Bass Lake · 121 ac · 1.3 mi
- Star Lake · 128 ac · 1.5 mi
- Little Star Lake · 49 ac · 1.7 mi
- Kimball Lake · 190 ac · 1.8 mi
- Clamshell Lake · 211 ac · 2 mi
- Whitefish Lake · 7,714 ac · 2.1 mi
- Grass Lake · 46 ac · 2.2 mi
- Pleasant Lake · 22 ac · 2.3 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Pig Lake?
Pig Lake reaches 56 ft at its deepest point; about 38% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Pig Lake?
Pig Lake covers 196 acres with about 3 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Pig Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Pig Lake average 15.8 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Pig Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Pig Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Pig Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Pig Lake have a public access?
Yes. Pig Lake has 2 public access sites, including a Public access (Via channel from Lower Whitefish Lake.).
How big do walleye get in Pig Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 27"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.
When was Pig Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Pig Lake in 2024, the most recent of 8 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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