Minnesota · Stearns County
Pleasant Lake Fishing guide
Pleasant Lake covers 218 acres in Stearns County, Minnesota, reaching 33 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 10.4 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 10 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Largemouth bassGood numbers55.2per hr (electrofishing)13"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 86 fish
Recent · 2015Lengths measured · 86 fish
2015Lengths measured · 104 fish
2005Lengths measured · 11 fish
1995No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeGood numbers10.7per gill net18"Typical29"Biggest
Lengths measured · 78 fish
Recent · 2015Lengths measured · 78 fish
2015Lengths measured · 77 fish
2005Lengths measured · 55 fish
1995BluegillJust a few6.4per trap net5"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 530 fish
Recent · 2015 + 2024Lengths measured · 444 fish
2024Lengths measured · 996 fish
2016Lengths measured · 86 fish
2015Lengths measured · 226 fish
2015CrappieJust a few0.3per trap net8"Typical14"Biggest
Lengths measured · 36 fish
Recent · 2015 + 2024Lengths measured · 26 fish
2024Lengths measured · 10 fish
2015Lengths measured · 8 fish
2005Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 30 fish
1995No 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 Pleasant Lake through the year
Smallmouth bass
- Spring
- Smallmouth are on shallow rock, gravel and sand where they spawn. At 10.4 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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.
- Fall
- Smallmouth are bunched tight on deep rock, so find one and you have found the school.
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. At 10.4 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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.
- Fall
- Bluegill are back up onto the flats and into the last green weeds, feeding hard while the shallows still hold heat.
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 | Bluegill | Crappie |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2" | 8" | 14" |
| 2016 | — | 8" | — |
| 2015 | — | 8" | 9" |
| 2005 | — | 7" | 10" |
| 1995 | — | 7" | 10" |
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
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
Crappie · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Crappie · 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 2024 survey
Pleasant Lake is located three miles southwest of St. Cloud in Stearns County and has one public access located on the northeast side of the lake. The lake is 219 acres and has a maximum depth of 33 feet. Over the years, Pleasant Lake has had different experimental regulations in place, restricting the harvest of sunfish. In 1996, the sunfish bag limit was reduced from the statewide 30/day to 10/day. This regulation remained in place until 2007, when the bag limit was further reduced to five sunfish per day. The goal of the reduced bag limit regulation is to reduce harvest and improve the average size of sunfish. To evaluate the effectiveness of the reduced five-bag daily limit regulation, a targeted Bluegill assessment was conducted on Pleasant Lake from May 28 to May 31, 2024.
A total of 444 Bluegills were sampled during the 2024 survey and ranged in length from two to eight inches with an average length of 5 ½ inches. The average size of Bluegill has remained relatively unchanged since 2007, averaging 5.7 inches over the past four surveys. To further evaluate the size structure of the population, fisheries biologists describe the size structure by looking at the percentage of fish over a certain length. From the 2024 survey, Bluegill longer than six inches composed 34% of the total catch while less than 1% were longer than eight inches. Results from this analysis indicate that anglers looking to target large Bluegills should not expect to catch many in Pleasant Lake, but rather catch large quantities of smaller fish. Bluegill grow very slow in Pleasant Lake, only reaching 6.8 inches in length by age 9. In addition to Bluegill, Hybrid Sunfish were also collected during the survey. A total of 215 Hybrid Sunfish were sampled with an average length of 6.4 inches and a maximum length of 9.5 inches. Recent surveys conducted in 2015 and 2016 resulted in similar catches and sizes of Hybrid Sunfish; however, surveys conducted in 2007 and 2011 resulted in catches that were significantly lower (2007 - 43 fish, 2011- 12 fish).
Read the full DNR narrative
On average, it takes between 5 and 8 years for an eight-inch Bluegill to replace itself within a population. By removing large, adult males from the population, this makes it easier for smaller Bluegill, with less desire to grow large, sneak in and fertilize eggs on the Bluegill beds which ultimately influences the size structure of the population. Although large male Bluegill are colorful and easy to target during the springtime due to spawning behaviors, they are also very easily exploited by anglers. Therefore, anglers are encouraged to be selective when harvesting Bluegills in Pleasant Lake since it takes a couple extra years for a fish to replaces itself within this population. Anglers can help improve Bluegill fishing on Pleasant Lake by selectively harvesting medium sized females and releasing the larger males.
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 (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Pleasant Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Grand Lake · 651 ac · 4.9 mi
- Heritage Center Ponds Lake · 12 ac · 5.3 mi
- Kraemer Lake · 195 ac · 5.5 mi
- Beaver Lake · 112 ac · 6 mi
- Pearl Lake · 753 ac · 6.6 mi
- Rossier Lake · 37 ac · 6.8 mi
- Island Lake · 116 ac · 6.9 mi
- Watab Lake · 97 ac · 7.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Pleasant Lake?
Pleasant Lake reaches 33 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 13 ft; about 52% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Pleasant Lake?
Pleasant Lake covers 218 acres with about 3.5 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Pleasant Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Pleasant Lake average 10.4 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Pleasant Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, 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 (trailer launch).
How big do smallmouth bass get in Pleasant Lake?
The biggest smallmouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 2"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.
When was Pleasant Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Pleasant Lake in 2024, the most recent of 10 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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