Minnesota · Itasca County
Portage Lake Fishing guide
Portage Lake is a 715-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota, reaching 60 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 2 times, most recently in 1986, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 40 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Portage Lake in 1986. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Walleye
- Largemouth bass
- Northern pike
- Bluegill
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
- Rock bass
How to fish Portage 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. On a lake that drops to 60 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- 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.
- 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. On a lake that drops to 60 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- 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.
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
Leadcore Line + Crankbaits
4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Muskie & pike
Soft Rubber (Bull Dawg / Medusa)
10" soft rubber body bait
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 1986 survey
walleye and yellow perch abundance is below state- wide local medians. All other species are within normal limits for this type of lake. Shoreline seining yielding a good number of young-0f-year walleye. Walleye and yellow perch abundance is below statewide and local medians. All other species are within normal limits for this type of lake. Shoreline seining yielded a good number of young- of-year walleye.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Portage Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Portage 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.
DNR bathymetry
Portage Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Bird's Eye Lake · 80 ac · 1.9 mi
- Sand Lake · 3,579 ac · 3 mi
- Rush Island Lake · 297 ac · 3 mi
- Cedar Lake · 178 ac · 4.1 mi
- Bowstring Lake · 9,528 ac · 4.7 mi
- Little Sand Lake · 353 ac · 5.5 mi
- Little Cut Foot Sioux Lake · 619 ac · 5.9 mi
- Little Whitefish Lake · 160 ac · 6.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Portage Lake?
Portage Lake reaches 60 ft at its deepest point; about 5% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Portage Lake?
Portage Lake covers 715 acres with about 10 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Portage Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1986) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Portage Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Portage Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
When was Portage Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Portage Lake in 1986, the most recent of 2 surveys on record. 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 Portage Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
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