Minnesota · Cass County
Pine Lake Fishing guide
Pine Lake covers 261 acres in Cass County, Minnesota, reaching 25 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 13.6 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 6 times, most recently in 2022, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeOne of the best around17.3per gill net19"Typical38"Biggest
Lengths measured · 115 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 115 fish
2022Lengths measured · 113 fish
2006Lengths measured · 133 fish
1999Lengths measured · 101 fish
1993BluegillFair numbers37.7per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 351 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 351 fish
2022Lengths measured · 504 fish
2006Lengths measured · 729 fish
1999Lengths measured · 364 fish
1993CrappieJust a few1.1per trap net8"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 25 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 25 fish
2022Lengths measured · 15 fish
2006Lengths measured · 13 fish
1999Lengths measured · 26 fish
1993No 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 Pine Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 13.6 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.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. At 13.6 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.
- 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 | Northern pike | Largemouth bass | Bluegill |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 38" | 14" | 8" |
| 2006 | 34" | 17" | 7" |
| 1999 | 37" | 14" | 7" |
| 1993 | 34" | 19" | 7" |
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
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
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Bluegill · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner jighead
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 2022 survey
Pine Lake is a 260-acre lake with 3.8 miles of shoreline and a maximum depth of 25 feet located south of Whipholt, MN. A US Forest Service owned public access is located on the southeast shore. The DNR has classified Minnesota's lakes into 43 different classes based on physical, chemical and other characteristics. Pine Lake is in Lake Class 29; other area lakes in this class include Beuber, Diamond, Little Vermillion, Rainey and Sylvan. Approximately 75% of the shoreline is publicly owned and undeveloped. The lake is primarily managed for Black Crappie, Bluegill, Largemouth Bass and Northern Pike and secondarily for Yellow Perch.
Pine Lake is a great multi-species lake with the potential to produce large fish. Black Crappie met the management goal and lengths ranged from 6 to 11 inches long. Bluegill were abundant meeting the management goal and lengths ranged from 3 to 8 inches long. Northern Pike abundance was above the maximum management goal and fish ranged in length from 10 to 38 inches. Largemouth Bass up to 15 inches were sampled. Management goals are based on spring electrofishing which was not conducted in 2022.
Read the full DNR narrative
Other fish species that anglers can expect to encounter include: Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Rock Bass and Yellow Bullhead.
People can have significant impacts on lakes and the fish populations they support. Harvest, lakeshore development, removal of shoreline vegetation, and introductions of invasive species can all adversely affect fish populations. Currently, no aquatic invasive species (AIS) have been identified in Pine Lake. AIS are moved from infested to non-infested waters by anglers, boaters, and lake shore owners and can adversely impact lakes and fish populations. To avoid spreading AIS, lake users are required to remove all aquatic plants or animals from their watercraft and drain all water from their boat before leaving the access. If you suspect an infestation of an invasive species in this lake, save a specimen and report it to a local natural resource office. Additional information on all of these topics can be found on the DNR website (www.dnr.state.mn.us) or by contacting the Walker Area Fisheries office.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Pine Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Pine 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
- Pine Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Pine Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Teepee Lake · 21 ac · 1.8 mi
- Moccasin Lake · 272 ac · 2.4 mi
- South Stocking Lake · 46 ac · 2.4 mi
- Long Lake · 59 ac · 2.8 mi
- Horseshoe Lake · 127 ac · 2.9 mi
- Hovde Lake · 133 ac · 3.2 mi
- Diamond Lake · 77 ac · 3.8 mi
- Jack Lake · 142 ac · 4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Pine Lake?
Pine Lake reaches 25 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 12 ft; about 43% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Pine Lake?
Pine Lake covers 261 acres with about 3.8 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Pine Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Pine Lake average 13.6 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Pine Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2022) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Pine Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Pine Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Pine Lake have a public access?
Yes. Pine Lake has one public access site: Pine Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Pine Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 38"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1993.
When was Pine Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Pine Lake in 2022, the most recent of 6 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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