Minnesota · St. Louis County
Pike Lake Fishing guide
Pike Lake is a 488-acre lake in St. Louis County, Minnesota, reaching 60 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 17.6 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 6 times, most recently in 2019, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 7 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2024One of the best around15.6per gill net13"Typical24"Biggest
Lengths measured · 292 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2019Lengths measured · 141 fish
2019Lengths measured · 151 fish
2014Lengths measured · 118 fish
2009Lengths measured · 64 fish
2004Largemouth bassFair numbers33.5per hr (electrofishing)12"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 86 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2019Lengths measured · 47 fish
2019Lengths measured · 39 fish
2014Lengths measured · 46 fish
2009Lengths measured · 25 fish
2004Northern pikeJust a few1.1per gill net29"Typical39"Biggest
Lengths measured · 22 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2019Lengths measured · 16 fish
2019Lengths measured · 6 fish
2014Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 6 fish
2009Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 15 fish
2004BluegillJust a few3.4per trap net4"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 87 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2019Lengths measured · 68 fish
2019Lengths measured · 19 fish
2014Lengths measured · 139 fish
2009Lengths measured · 60 fish
2004Yellow perchFair numbers1.6per gill net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 47 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2019Lengths measured · 25 fish
2019Lengths measured · 22 fish
2014Lengths measured · 477 fish
2009Lengths measured · 1037 fish
2004Rock bassOne of the best around6.4per trap net5"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 205 fish
Recent · 2014 + 2019Lengths measured · 70 fish
2019Lengths measured · 135 fish
2014Lengths measured · 96 fish
2009Lengths measured · 69 fish
2004Rates 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 Pike Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 17.6 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 60 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. At 17.6 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 60 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.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Walleye | Largemouth bass | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 24" | 18" | 39" |
| 2014 | 24" | 15" | 31" |
| 2009 | 25" | 17" | 44" |
| 2004 | 28" | 19" | 43" |
| 1994 | 26" | 14" | 36" |
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
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.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | 494,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 494,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 494,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 494,000 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 500,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2019 survey
Pike is a 494 acre lake with 135 (27%) acres of littoral area and a maximum depth of 62 feet. The lake is located just north of Hermantown, MN and has a township administered, concrete, back-in access located off County Road #13. Walleye fry have been stocked in even years from 1982 through 2018. Pike Lake was last assessed in 2014. Pike Lake was surveyed during the summer of 2019 to update information about fish populations.
Walleye abundance of 15.3 per gillnet lift was nearly unchanged from 2014 (15.8) and was above average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Historically, Walleye abundance has ranged from 4.7 to 22.7 per gillnet lift. Walleye average length was 16.5 inches. Natural reproduction of Walleye in Pike Lake is limited as 97% of the Walleye captured were aged to stocked year-classes. Several good year-classes of Walleye will provide quality angling opportunities in Pike Lake in 2020 and beyond.
Read the full DNR narrative
Northern Pike abundance of 1.7 per gillnet lift was up from 2014 (0.6) and below average compared to other Minnesota lakes of similar type. Historically, the Northern Pike abundance has been relatively low in Pike Lake and has ranged from 0.2 to 7.0. Average length was impressive at 30.1 inches. Although the abundance of Northern Pike is low, the size structure of the population is among the best in the Duluth Area.
A total of 35 Largemouth Bass were sampled with electrofishing equipment. The catch rate of Largemouth Bass was 32.0 fish per hour of electrofishing on-time. Largemouth Bass average length was 12.9 inches.
Black Crappie were scarce but large. Average length was 12.7 inches, but only three specimens were captured. Bluegill abundance of 5.2 per trapnet lift was average compared to other Minnesota Lakes but size was small. Average length was 4.6 inches.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Pike Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Pike 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
- Pike Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Pike Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Caribou Lake · 539 ac · 2.3 mi
- Mud Lake · 51 ac · 2.4 mi
- Grand Lake · 1,665 ac · 4.8 mi
- Little Grand Lake · 65 ac · 5.2 mi
- Fish Lake Flowage · 3,259 ac · 5.4 mi
- Little Grand Lake · 176 ac · 5.6 mi
- Wild Rice Lake · 2,372 ac · 5.7 mi
- Clearwater Lake · 15 ac · 8.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Pike Lake?
Pike Lake reaches 60 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 25.6 ft; about 28% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Pike Lake?
Pike Lake covers 488 acres with about 4.9 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Pike Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Pike Lake average 17.6 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Pike Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2019) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Pike Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Pike Lake have a public access?
Yes. Pike Lake has one public access site: Pike Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Pike Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 24"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1994.
When was Pike Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Pike Lake in 2019, 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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