Minnesota · Aitkin County
Round Lake Fishing guide
Round Lake sits in Aitkin County, Minnesota, and covers 554 acres, reaching 27 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 15.6 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 10 times, most recently in 2022, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers2.1per gill net16"Typical21"Biggest
Lengths measured · 25 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 25 fish
2022Lengths measured · 22 fish
2017Lengths measured · 15 fish
2012Lengths measured · 18 fish
2007Largemouth bassGood numbers81.5per hr (electrofishing)11"Typical16"Biggest
Lengths measured · 366 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 366 fish
2022Lengths measured · 142 fish
2017Lengths measured · 66 fish
2012Lengths measured · 56 fish
2007No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeGood numbers14.8per gill net17"Typical23"Biggest
Lengths measured · 171 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 171 fish
2022Lengths measured · 123 fish
2017Lengths measured · 232 fish
2012Lengths measured · 216 fish
2007BluegillJust a few15.5per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 217 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 217 fish
2022Lengths measured · 223 fish
2017Lengths measured · 345 fish
2012Lengths measured · 301 fish
2007CrappieJust a few3per trap net8"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 48 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 48 fish
2022Lengths measured · 27 fish
2017Lengths measured · 26 fish
2012Lengths measured · 19 fish
2007Yellow perchFair numbers2.2per gill net6"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 20 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 20 fish
2022Lengths measured · 17 fish
2017Lengths measured · 2 fish
2012Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 63 fish
1997Rates 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 Round 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. At 15.6 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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 68% 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.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 15.6 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- Early summer
- Pike are on the outside weed edge and points.
- Summer
- Pike are on the deep weed edge and points near the coolest water they can find. With 68% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Pike are on the last green weeds and the breaks beside them, feeding heavily as the water drops.
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 | Largemouth bass | Northern pike | Walleye |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 16" | 23" | 21" |
| 2017 | 19" | 31" | 25" |
| 2012 | 17" | 30" | 25" |
| 2007 | 18" | 33" | 24" |
| 2002 | 18" | 31" | 27" |
| 1997 | 19" | 32" | 26" |
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:
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Northern pike · Jigs & bladed
Inline Spinner (Mepps/Blue Fox)
#2–#4 in-line spinner
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
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 | 3,534 yearlings |
| 2024 | Walleye | 1,928 fingerlings · 421 yearlings |
| 2023 | Walleye | 6,086 fingerlings |
| 2022 | Walleye | 3,752 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 120 fingerlings · 825 adults |
| 2019 | Walleye | 7,500 fingerlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 465 fingerlings · 822 yearlings |
| 2017 | Walleye | 924 adults |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2022 survey
Round Lake is located about 5 miles northwest of Tamarack in Aitkin County. It is popular with recreational users because of its clear water and abundant sandy beaches. There is a public access with a concrete log ramp and swimming area on the north shore and a Wildlife Management Area along much of the south shore. The lake is managed primarily for Walleye and Northern Pike, with Largemouth Bass and Bluegill as secondary species.
Walleye were first stocked into the lake in 1952, and have been stocked regularly since about 1982, at various rates and frequencies. Walleye abundance (2.1/gill net) was similar to previous assessments, but remains below the normal range for similar lakes, and below the management goal of 3/gill net. The mean length was 16.4 inches, meeting the size goal for the lake. There were 6 age classes represented, which also meets the goal in the management plan. When available, larger sized fingerlings, yearlings, or adults are desirable to be stocked in Round Lake to help reduce predation from abundant and small Northern Pike.
Read the full DNR narrative
The lake has a reputation for abundant Northern Pike with poor size structure and the 2022 fisheries survey again supports this perception. Northern Pike abundance has dropped some from an average of over 19/per gill net seen between 1997 and 2012. The last two surveys have been a bit lower at 12.6/gill net in 2017 and 14.8/gill net in 2022. As is typical for this lake, size structure remained poor with an average length of just 16 inches and an average weight of 0.9 pounds. No fish were larger than 26 inches and only 2 of 133 fell within the 22-26 inch protected slot, which did not meet the management objective for the lake. This scenario has played out in previous surveys and 2022 was no different, suggesting that the long-term goal listed in the plan to reduce the catch of Northern Pike to 6/gill net with 25% greater than 24" may not be attainable. The new zone regulations do offer more promise for changing the Northern Pike size structure, but it may be many years to see those effects.
Standard trap nets captured Bluegill at a rate of 15.5/net and is within the expected range for similar lakes, but below the long-term average for the lake of about 30/net. Sizes ranged from 5.0 to 9.1 inches with an average of 6.7 inches. The size structure has shown improvements in the previous two surveys. In addition to true Bluegills, Hybrid Sunfish are also available to anglers and offer a decent size distribution, with fish nearing 9 inches observed in this survey.
Black Crappie also provide anglers with opportunities to harvest panfish. Crappie are not overly abundant and net catches were nearly identical to the previous survey. The size structure was respectable with a mean length of 7.7 inches and a maximum length of just over 10.0 inches. Yellow Perch showed up again in the gill net catch for the second survey in a row after being absent or nearly so for 20 years. They were caught at a rate of 2.2/gill net. Improvements to Yellow Perch populations are important for managing Northern Pike and Walleye, as well as panfish.
Spring night electrofishing was conducted to assess the Largemouth Bass population. The catch rate of 140/hr is higher than previous surveys and considered a high catch rate for a lake in this area. This is consistent with a general trend of increasing abundance in the standard gill nets and trap nets. Sizes in the electrofishing sample ranged from 5.4 to 15.6 inches with an average of 11.6 inches. One fish over 16 inches was also observed in the trap net sample.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Round Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Round 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
- Round Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Round Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Horseshoe Lake · 240 ac · 1.6 mi
- Minnewawa Lake · 2,351 ac · 3.4 mi
- Big Sandy Lake · 6,125 ac · 5.9 mi
- Glacier Lake · 135 ac · 6.7 mi
- Rat Lake · 431 ac · 7.4 mi
- Cole Lake · 142 ac · 7.6 mi
- Sheriff Lake · 88 ac · 7.9 mi
- Aitkin Lake · 659 ac · 8.7 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Round Lake?
Round Lake reaches 27 ft at its deepest point; about 68% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Round Lake?
Round Lake covers 554 acres with about 3.7 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Round Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Round Lake average 15.6 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Round Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2022) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Round Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Round Lake have a public access?
Yes. Round Lake has one public access site: Round Lake (trailer launch).
How big do largemouth bass get in Round Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 16"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1997.
When was Round Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Round Lake in 2022, the most recent of 10 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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