Minnesota · St. Louis County
Pine Lake Fishing guide
Pine Lake sits in St. Louis County, Minnesota, and covers 450 acres, reaching 14 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 6.5 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 5 times, most recently in 2017, with walleye, northern pike, bluegill and yellow perch in the nets. That survey is 9 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeFair numbers2.7per gill net20"Typical27"Biggest
Lengths measured · 28 fish
Recent · 2017Lengths measured · 28 fish
2017Lengths measured · 50 fish
2007Lengths measured · 75 fish
1999Northern pikeFair numbers7.3per gill net17"Typical42"Biggest
Lengths measured · 62 fish
Recent · 2017Lengths measured · 62 fish
2017Lengths measured · 77 fish
2007Lengths measured · 67 fish
1999BluegillJust a few18.3per trap net6"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 187 fish
Recent · 2017Lengths measured · 187 fish
2017Lengths measured · 639 fish
2007Lengths measured · 191 fish
1999Yellow perchGood numbers5.7per gill net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 36 fish
Recent · 2017Lengths measured · 36 fish
2017Lengths measured · 151 fish
2007Lengths measured · 239 fish
1999Rock bassGood numbers0.9per trap net5"Typical6"Biggest
Lengths measured · 10 fish
Recent · 2017Lengths measured · 10 fish
2017Lengths measured · 21 fish
2007Lengths measured · 2 fish
1999Only 2 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
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 14-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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 14-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 | Walleye | Northern pike | Yellow perch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 27" | 42" | 9" |
| 2007 | 26" | 34" | 11" |
| 1999 | 28" | 33" | 11" |
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 · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
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
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Yellow perch · Live bait
Slip Bobber + Leech
jumbo or large leech
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 2017 survey
Pine Lake is in Ecological Lake Class 16, which consists of 38 lakes in northeast Minnesota that are large, shallow, and have bog-stained and soft (unmineralized) water. Lake bottom substrates along the shoreline are 30% sand, 30% gravel, 20% boulder, 17% rubble, and 3% muck. Aquatic plants grow to a depth of 4 ft; variable pondweed and floatingleaf pondweed are the most common plants.
Pine Lake is located approximately 29 miles S of Ely within the Superior National Forest. This relatively remote lake lies in an area that has a lower density of lakes with streams and rivers being more common.
Read the full DNR narrative
The public access can be found by turning N off CR 15 onto Etelainen Road; going 0.6 miles veer right onto UT56 for 0.65 miles; then veer left onto UT59 for 4.5 miles; then turn left onto the Forest Road for 0.7 miles to the parking area. There is a short carry-down or portage approximately 450 feet long to the lake. There are 3 designated campsites surrounding the lake.
Eight species of fish were sampled during the 2017 survey of Pine Lake. Northern pike (33%) were the most common species sampled in the gill nets, while bluegill (63%) dominated the trap net catch. Small pumpkinseed sunfish were sampled in above average numbers and a low density walleye population currently exists in Pine Lake.
Northern pike numbers in 2017 (7.3/gill net) were nearly identical to the historic average (7.1/gill net) for Pine Lake and above average (3.6/gill net) when compared to other similar area lakes with pike. The average pike sampled was 19.1 inches which is slightly larger than the historic average of 18.9 inches. Sixteen percent of the pike sampled were 24 inches or larger. The largest pike sampled in 2017 was caught in a trap net and measured 42.5 inches in length.
Bluegill numbers in 2017 (18.3/trap net) were identical to the historic average and above average (3.0/trap net) compared to other similar area lakes with bluegill. The average bluegill sampled was 6.4 inches which is similar to the historic average of 6.1 inches. Only 5% of the bluegill sampled were 8 inches or larger with a maximum length of 8.7 inches observed.
Walleye numbers in 2017 (2.7/gill net) were lower than the historic average (4.2/gill net) and below average (8.0/gill net) compared to other similar area lakes with walleye. The average walleye sampled was 18.2 inches long and about 6 years old. The largest walleye sampled was 27.8 inches in length. An addtional 12 walleye were sampled in the trap nets with an average length of 21.0 inches.
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 (carry-in)
DNR bathymetry
Pine Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Seven Beaver Lake · 1,414 ac · 2.7 mi
- Big Lake · 809 ac · 5.5 mi
- Sullivan Lake · 45 ac · 8 mi
- Cadotte Lake · 294 ac · 8 mi
- Bassett Lake · 403 ac · 8.3 mi
- Greenwood Lake · 1,329 ac · 8.8 mi
- Salo Lake · 141 ac · 8.8 mi
- Sand Lake · 487 ac · 10.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Pine Lake?
Pine Lake reaches 14 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Pine Lake?
Pine Lake covers 450 acres with about 4.1 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Pine Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Pine Lake average 6.5 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Pine Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2017) record walleye, northern pike, bluegill, 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 (carry-in).
How big do walleye get in Pine 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 1999.
When was Pine Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Pine Lake in 2017, the most recent of 5 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
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