Minnesota · Pine County
Pokegama Lake Fishing guide
Pokegama Lake covers 1,522 acres in Pine County, Minnesota, reaching 25 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 2.9 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 16 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers2.3per gill net15"Typical25"Biggest
Lengths measured · 29 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 123 fish
2025Lengths measured · 16 fish
2024Lengths measured · 69 fish
2023Lengths measured · 29 fish
2022Northern pikeJust a few2per gill net26"Typical36"Biggest
Lengths measured · 24 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 24 fish
2022Lengths measured · 34 fish
2018Lengths measured · 22 fish
2014Lengths measured · 29 fish
2010Last recorded in the 2010 survey and not seen since.
BluegillJust a few3.6per trap net7"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 463 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 401 fish
2025Lengths measured · 62 fish
2022Lengths measured · 61 fish
2018Lengths measured · 70 fish
2014CrappieJust a few7.6per trap net10"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 686 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 418 fish
2025Lengths measured · 268 fish
2022Lengths measured · 166 fish
2018Lengths measured · 105 fish
2014Yellow perchGood numbers5.3per gill net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 74 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 74 fish
2022Lengths measured · 45 fish
2018Lengths measured · 37 fish
2014Lengths measured · 45 fish
2010Present in recent DNR surveys.
No recent survey rating.
Channel catfishGood numbers4.3per gill net21"Typical32"Biggest
Lengths measured · 52 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 52 fish
2022Lengths measured · 125 fish
2018Lengths measured · 36 fish
2014Lengths measured · 65 fish
2010White bassFair numbers0.6per gill net14"Typical17"Biggest
Lengths measured · 15 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 15 fish
2022Lengths measured · 16 fish
2018Lengths measured · 11 fish
2014Lengths measured · 15 fish
2010Rates 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 Pokegama Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. In 2.9 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. In 2.9 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
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 | Largemouth bass | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 22" | — | — |
| 2024 | 12" | — | — |
| 2023 | 13" | — | — |
| 2022 | 25" | 13" | 36" |
| 2018 | 24" | 20" | 37" |
| 2014 | 25" | — | 37" |
| 2010 | 24" | 17" | 33" |
| 2005 | 24" | 19" | 39" |
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 · Live bait
Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler
jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler
Walleye · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Jigs & bladed
Skirted Casting Jig + Craw Trailer
3.5–4" craw-style trailer on a skirted casting/flipping jig
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
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 | 226,000 fry · 20,545 fingerlings |
| 2024 | Walleye | 226,000 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 450,000 fry · 24,654 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 25,828 fingerlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 23,480 fingerlings |
| 2017 | Walleye | 6,279 fingerlings · 1,646 yearlings · 109 adults |
| 2016 | Walleye | 12,511 fingerlings · 306 yearlings · 32 adults |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Pokegama Lake is a 1,474-acre lake located west of Pine City and is within the Snake River watershed. It has a maximum depth of 25 feet, has an average depth of 9.8 feet, and is 61% littoral (depths less than 15 feet, 903 acres). It has two inlets, Pokegama Creek in the north and one unnamed inlet flowing into Jarvis Bay from the southwest. It has two outlets, both at the southern end that flow into the Snake River. The lake is highly developed, with homes lining almost 100% of the shoreline. Phosphorous levels are high, with algae blooms commonly occurring from May through October. Aquatic vegetation is dense in the north and southwest bays but generally sparse in the main lake due to water clarity limiting plant growth to depths less than 5 feet. Sand and gravel are common throughout most of the lake which provides good spawning substrates for crappie and Bluegill. There are two public accesses on the lake, both with concrete boat ramps. The northern access has a gravel parking lot that accommodates 8 rigs, while the southern access has a gravel parking lot that accommodates 12 rigs.
Past standard lake surveys of Pokegama Lake have occurred in July and consistently observed a low-density Bluegill population with some larger individuals over 9 inches present. Two previous surveys targeting spawning Bluegill occurred in 2019 and 2021, to evaluate if a special regulation was appropriate. Due to interest in quality size Bluegill and the results of these two surveys, a ten sunfish bag limit was initiated in 2022 to help maintain size quality.
Read the full DNR narrative
In 2025, a survey targeting spawning Bluegill was conducted using 12 trap nets set over 7 days (82 net nights, 2 nets were collapsed due to wind and not counted) to evaluate the current Bluegill population and examine for changes that may have occurred since special regulations were implemented. Initial sampling occurred May 19 - 23, 2025 when water temperatures were 62 °F degrees and warming, but a rapid drop in water temperatures to 52 °F limited Bluegill movement and net effectiveness. Consequently, additional sampling occurred June 3 - 6, 2025 just prior to Bluegill spawning as water temperatures warmed again (range 68-71 °F).
A total of 401 Bluegill were caught in 2025 for a catch rate of 4.9/net. This is similar to the catch rate of 4.3/net in 2019, but below the catch rate of 12.5/net in 2021. Bluegill lengths ranged from 3.2 to 10.8 inches with an average length of 7.7 inches. This is similar to the average length in 2019 (7.9 inches), but much greater than the average length in 2021(6.4 inches). Forty percent of Bluegill caught in 2025 exceeded 8 inches, compared to 33% in 2019 and 30% in 2021. Overall, Pokegama appears to continue to support a low-density Bluegill population with good size structure.
Other species sampled in 2025 included Black Crappie, white crappie, and pumpkinseed. A total of 394 Black Crappie were caught for a catch rate of 4.8/net. Lengths ranged from 2.8 to 12.8 inches with an average length of 10.3 inches. Sixty-eight percent of Black Crappie caught in 2025 exceeded 10 inches. Only Bluegills were counted and measured in the 2019 and 2021 surveys, so comparisons to other surveys cannot be made. In 2025, a total of 23 white crappie were caught for a catch rate of 0.3/net. Lengths ranged from 9.6 to 12.7 inches with an average length of 11.0 inches. A total of 53 pumpkinseed were caught for a catch rate of 0.7/net. Lengths ranged from 0.7 to 7.5 inches with an average of 6.2 inches.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Pokegama Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Pokegama 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
- Pokegama Lake (N) (trailer launch)
- Pokegama Lake (S) (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Pokegama Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Cross Lake · 925 ac · 4.8 mi
- Quamba Lake · 226 ac · 7.3 mi
- West Rush Lake · 1,594 ac · 10.9 mi
- East Rush Lake · 1,494 ac · 11.1 mi
- Fish Lake · 506 ac · 13.1 mi
- Pomroy Lake · 412 ac · 13.6 mi
- Seventeen Lake · 32 ac · 14.2 mi
- Devils Lake · 59 ac · 14.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Pokegama Lake?
Pokegama Lake reaches 25 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 9.8 ft; about 59% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Pokegama Lake?
Pokegama Lake covers 1,522 acres with about 10.4 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Pokegama Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Pokegama Lake average 2.9 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Pokegama Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, muskellunge, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, lake sturgeon, rock bass, channel catfish, white bass.
Is Pokegama Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Pokegama Lake have a public access?
Yes. Pokegama Lake has 2 public access sites, including Pokegama Lake (N) (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Pokegama Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 25"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2005.
When was Pokegama Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Pokegama Lake in 2025, the most recent of 16 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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