Minnesota · Clearwater County
Pine Lake Fishing guide
Pine Lake is a 1,236-acre lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota, reaching 15 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 6.8 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 10 times, most recently in 2023, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers1.3per gill net18"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 12 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 12 fish
2023Lengths measured · 5 fish
2018Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 6 fish
2013Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 22 fish
2008Northern pikeOne of the best around15.8per gill net21"Typical35"Biggest
Lengths measured · 155 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 155 fish
2023Lengths measured · 172 fish
2018Lengths measured · 166 fish
2013Lengths measured · 167 fish
2008BluegillJust a few2.9per trap net6"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 50 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 50 fish
2023Lengths measured · 11 fish
2018Lengths measured · 26 fish
2013Lengths measured · 401 fish
2008CrappieLast stocked 2024Just a few0.3per trap net12"Typical13"Biggest
Lengths measured · 16 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 16 fish
2023Lengths measured · 4 fish
2018Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 13 fish
2013Lengths measured · 11 fish
2008Yellow perchExcellent numbers30.7per gill net7"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 276 fish
Recent · 2023Lengths measured · 276 fish
2023Lengths measured · 111 fish
2018Lengths measured · 113 fish
2013Lengths measured · 6 fish
2008Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
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.
- 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 100% 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 15-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 100% 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 15-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 35" | 26" | 14" |
| 2018 | 31" | 21" | — |
| 2013 | 35" | 27" | — |
| 2008 | 32" | 28" | 16" |
| 2003 | 41" | 26" | 8" |
| 1999 | 34" | 23" | 6" |
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 · Hardbaits
Weedless Spoon + Trailer (Silver Minnow)
3/8–1/2 oz weedless spoon
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Walleye · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | 450,000 fry |
| 2024 | Black Crappie | 3,600 fingerlings |
| 2024 | Walleye | 456,000 fry · 1,650 fingerlings |
| 2023 | Walleye | 471,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 450,000 fry · 5,000 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Black Crappie | 4,500 yearlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 451,000 fry |
| 2020 | Walleye | 735 fingerlings |
| 2019 | Black Crappie | 46 adults |
| 2019 | Walleye | 1,202,000 fry |
| 2018 | Walleye | 1,268,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 1,220,000 fry · 1,500 fingerlings |
Stocking records before 2017 omitted.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2023 survey
Pine Lake is a 1,236 acre lake located three miles south of the town of Gonvick in Clearwater County. Pine Lake has a maximum depth of 15 feet and is managed as a periodic winterkill Lake. Since 1994, the operation of an aeration system has reduced the frequency and extent of winterkill events, although partial kills may still occur in winters with a long duration of snow cover. The last documented partial winterkill was late winter of 2018 where a variety of species such as Bluegill, Black Crappie and Largemouth Bass were affected. Fortunately, adequate numbers of those species survived and have expanded in recent years.
Pine Lake is managed primarily for Walleye, Bluegill, and Northern Pike. The Walleye population in Pine has been maintained through annual fry stocking. However, the presence of expanding panfish populations have been known to hinder fry stocking success through predation resulting in low Walleye numbers. The 2023 walleye catch rate of just over one fish per gill net was the highest since 2008. Walleye lengths in the survey exceeded 26 inches and averaged over 18 inches. Pine continues to support a low-density Walleye population that can offer seasonal opportunities for some nice sized fish.
Read the full DNR narrative
The 2023 Bluegill catch rate was just below three fish per trap net and lengths up to 10 inches were documented in the survey. The 2019 year class of Bluegill comprised the majority of the sunfish population in Pine. This was the highest Bluegill abundance measured during a survey in Pine Lake since 2008.
Pine Lake's Northern Pike population has remained stable over time and were captured at a rate of approximately 16 fish per gill net which is similar to the last two assessments and greater than the expected range for similar lakes. Pike just short of 36 inches were captured and the average size was considerably greater than that of the previous assessment in 2018. Nearly 15% of all pike captured in the gill nets exceeded the 22-26 inch protected slot of the North-Central pike zone.
Overall Black Crappie abundance in the 2023 survey increased from 2018. Crappies over 13 inches were present in the survey, averaging around 11 inches in trap nets. Multiple year classes were present in the catch indicating a healthy and resilient population.
Yellow Perch numbers increased to the highest in recent years with a gill net catch rate of over 30 per net. Perch up to nearly 11 inches were present in the nets, averaging over 7 inches in length overall. Perch are important not only to anglers, but also as a valuable and essential food source for Walleye, bass, and pike.
Other species captured in the 2023 assessment were Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, White Sucker, Brown and Yellow Bullhead, and Common Carp. Pine Lake is one of the few lakes in the Bemidji management area where Common Carp reside.
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 (N) (trailer launch)
- Pine Lake (E) (carry-in)
DNR bathymetry
Pine Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Lindberg Lake · 96 ac · 4 mi
- Deep Lake · 40 ac · 6.1 mi
- Perch Lake · 84 ac · 6.7 mi
- Cross Lake · 320 ac · 6.8 mi
- Turtle Lake · 525 ac · 8.5 mi
- Lone Lake · 69 ac · 8.7 mi
- Whitefish Lake · 243 ac · 9.4 mi
- Johnson Lake · 63 ac · 9.7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Pine Lake?
Pine Lake reaches 15 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 9 ft; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Pine Lake?
Pine Lake covers 1,236 acres with about 11.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Pine Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Pine Lake average 6.8 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Pine Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2023) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Pine Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Pine Lake have a public access?
Yes. Pine Lake has 2 public access sites, including Pine Lake (N) (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Pine Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 35"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1999.
When was Pine Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Pine Lake in 2023, the most recent of 10 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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