Minnesota · Scott County
Pleasant Lake Fishing guide
Pleasant Lake covers 289 acres in Scott County, Minnesota, reaching 5 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 1 time, most recently in 1996, with largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie and yellow perch in the nets. That survey is 30 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Pleasant Lake in 1996. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Largemouth bass
- Bluegill
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
How to fish Pleasant Lake through the year
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn.
- 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. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze. A 5-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Bluegill
- Spring
- Bluegill are on the beds in firm-bottomed shallows, in colonies of dozens. On a clear lake those colonies sit deeper than you expect.
- Early summer
- Bluegill are off the beds and onto the weed edges and brush, the biggest ones pulling out first.
- Summer
- Bluegill are on the deep weedline of a stratified lake, sliding out as the surface starts back down. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Bluegill are back up onto the flats and into the last green weeds, feeding hard while the shallows still hold heat. A 5-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.
Suggested tackle
What to bring
Top presentations for this lake's structure and clarity:
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
Bluegill · Live bait
Clip-On Bobber + Worm
half to whole garden nightcrawler
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Crappie · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner jighead
Crappie · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
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 1996 survey
The initial fisheries survey of Pleasant Lake shows that the population is presently dominated by black bullheads and black crappies. Although the majority of the black crappies were small in size (less than 6.5") about 4 percent of the individuals captured were over 10.0" in length. Bluegill and largemouth bass were present in normal abundance but averaged relatively small in size. Carp, green sunfish, golden shiner, and fathead minnows are also common in the lake. Pumpkinseed sunfish and yellow perch were sampled, but appear to be low in abundance.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Pleasant Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Pleasant 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
- Pleasant Lake/Hunting access (carry-in)
DNR bathymetry
Pleasant Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Cedar Lake · 793 ac · 2.4 mi
- Cynthia Lake · 196 ac · 4.7 mi
- Mill Pond · 18 ac · 5.1 mi
- Fish Lake · 176 ac · 6 mi
- McMahon Lake · 187 ac · 7.8 mi
- Spring Lake · 592 ac · 7.8 mi
- Crystal Lake · 31 ac · 9.1 mi
- Upper Prior Lake · 386 ac · 9.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Pleasant Lake?
Pleasant Lake reaches 5 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Pleasant Lake?
Pleasant Lake covers 289 acres with about 2.8 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Pleasant Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1996) record largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Pleasant Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Pleasant Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Pleasant Lake have a public access?
Yes. Pleasant Lake has one public access site: Pleasant Lake/Hunting access (carry-in).
When was Pleasant Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Pleasant Lake in 1996. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
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The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Pleasant Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
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