Minnesota · Morrison County
Placid Lake Fishing guide
Placid Lake is a 538-acre lake in Morrison County, Minnesota, reaching 25 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 5 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 7 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Smallmouth bassFair numbers18.2per hr (electrofishing)12"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 20 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 20 fish
2024Lengths measured · 18 fish
2014Lengths measured · 40 fish
2008Lengths measured · 3 fish
2002Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Northern pikePresent6.4per hr (electrofishing)20"Typical29"Biggest
Lengths measured · 46 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 46 fish
2024Lengths measured · 5 fish
2014Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 1 fish
2008Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 33 fish
2002BluegillJust a few1.6per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 61 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 61 fish
2024Lengths measured · 11 fish
2014Lengths measured · 128 fish
2008Lengths measured · 175 fish
2002CrappieJust a few0.5per trap net9"Typical14"Biggest
Lengths measured · 41 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 41 fish
2024Lengths measured · 5 fish
2014Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 11 fish
2008Lengths measured · 8 fish
2002Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Yellow perchPresent1per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 183 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 183 fish
2024Lengths measured · 1 fish
2014Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 75 fish
2002Lengths measured · 66 fish
1996Rock bassFair numbers0.5per trap net5"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 76 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 76 fish
2024Lengths measured · 17 fish
2014Lengths measured · 9 fish
2008Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 25 fish
2002Rates 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 Placid Lake through the year
Smallmouth bass
- Spring
- Smallmouth are on shallow rock, gravel and sand where they spawn.
- Early summer
- Smallmouth are post-spawn on rock points, gravel bars and the adjacent breaks.
- Summer
- Smallmouth are on rock humps, points and hard-bottom breaks. With 63% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Smallmouth are bunched tight on deep rock, so find one and you have found the school.
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 63% 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.
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 | Smallmouth bass | Walleye | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 19" | 27" | 18" |
| 2014 | 19" | — | — |
| 2008 | 18" | 18" | 19" |
| 2002 | 16" | 23" | 4" |
| 1996 | 4" | 28" | 4" |
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:
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Ned Rig
2.75" finesse stickbait or craw-style Ned bait
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)
4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic
Walleye · Trolling
Planer Board Spread
4–6" crankbait or a 5–6 ft crawler harness run out to the side on an in-line planer board
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
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
Three fish sampling events were undertaken on Placid Lake in 2024 including ice-out trap netting, spring trap netting targeting Bluegill and Black Crappie, and daytime electrofishing. Electrofishing took place in the upstream reaches of the reservoir in flowing water environments. None of these sampling strategies have been utilized in the past. Traditional methods such as summer gill netting and late spring electrofishing have failed to adequately assess the fish community in recent years, thus these new efforts were attempted. Primary management species are Walleye and Bluegill with Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass as secondary species.
The three new sampling techniques employed in 2024 largely failed to produce substantial numbers of the fish species targeted underlining the difficulties of fish population evaluation in this system. Just 5 Walleye were collected when combining all gears with none observed while electrofishing. All Walleyes measured were adults ranging from 20.5 to 27.6 inches. A total of 46 Northern Pike were captured in the combined samples with 27 coming from the ice-out trap nets. Of the combined trap net catch of 39 fish, 28% were within the zonal protected slot of 22-26 inches and the largest measured 29.9 inches. Seven pike were caught electrofishing with most being juveniles under 15 inches long.
Read the full DNR narrative
Electrofishing produced a sample of 20 Smallmouth Bass ranging from 9.7 to 19.6 inches long. Mean length of Smallmouths was 13.4 inches and 4 fish exceeded 16 inches. No Smallmouth were found in the trap nets. The catch rate in 2024 was 18.2 per hour of electrofishing. Later spring electrofishing (June) resulted in catch rates of 58.5/hour in 2008 and 20.9/hour in 2014. Two Largemouth Bass measuring 17.6 and 18.1 inches were found in the trap nets and none were observed while electrofishing. No Largemouth Bass were observed the 2014 electrofishing assessment, however a catch rate of 28.5 per hour was noted in 2008.
The combined trap net sample of Bluegills totaled 37 fish of which 32.4% topped 7 inches and the largest fish measured 9.1 inches. Mean length was 6.4 inches. The management objective for Bluegill is having at least 30% of the trap net sample exceed 7 inches long. Otoliths extracted from Bluegills revealed the presence of age groups 2 through 5. Bluegills displayed fast growth attaining lengths of greater than 7 inches by Age 4.
Ice-out trap nets produced a sample of 34 Black Crappie while the targeted panfish trap nets caught just 7 fish. Crappie over 10 inches comprised 37% of the combined catch and 22% were over 12 inches. Mean length was 9 inches. Large crappies were evident as 3 specimens surpassed 14 inches with the longest measuring 14.6 inches.
While low numbers of Walleye, Bluegill, Black Crappie, and Largemouth Bass were sampled this may have been related to gear ineffectiveness and may not mean populations are at critically low levels. Non-target species prevalent in the trap nets included Black Bullhead (149 fish), Yellow Perch (184 fish), Rock Bass (77 fish), and Pumpkinseed (258 fish). Though abundant few Pumpkinseeds reach 7 inches long and average length was just 5.4 inches. Yellow Perch averaged 6.9 inches, 17% were over 8 inches and the largest perch measured 9.9 inches.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Placid Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Placid 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
- DNR access: STATE OWNED ACCESS ON THE NORTHEAST END OF THE LAKE.
DNR bathymetry
Placid Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Stanchfield Lake · 116 ac · 3.3 mi
- Pillager Lake · 205 ac · 4.3 mi
- Round Lake · 104 ac · 4.4 mi
- Shamineau Lake · 1,434 ac · 5.8 mi
- Sylvan Lake · 322 ac · 5.8 mi
- Sylvan Lake · 894 ac · 6.2 mi
- Crookneck Lake · 191 ac · 6.7 mi
- Beauty Lake · 19 ac · 6.7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Placid Lake?
Placid Lake reaches 25 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 15 ft; about 63% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Placid Lake?
Placid Lake covers 538 acres with about 10.7 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Placid Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Placid Lake average 5 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Placid Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Placid Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Placid Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Placid Lake have a public access?
Yes. Placid Lake has one public access site: DNR access (STATE OWNED ACCESS ON THE NORTHEAST END OF THE LAKE.).
How big do smallmouth bass get in Placid Lake?
The biggest smallmouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 19"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1996.
When was Placid Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Placid Lake in 2024, the most recent of 7 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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