Minnesota · Aitkin County
Round Lake Fishing guide
Round Lake is a 634-acre lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota, reaching 59 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 14.4 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 27 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Excellent numbers7.2per gill net13"Typical28"Biggest
Lengths measured · 282 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024 + 2025Lengths measured · 79 fish
2025Lengths measured · 5 fish
2025Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 62 fish
2024Lengths measured · 70 fish
2024Largemouth bassFair numbers26.5per hr (electrofishing)11"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 255 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024 + 2025Lengths measured · 8 fish
2025Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 60 fish
2024Lengths measured · 187 fish
2022Lengths measured · 96 fish
2017Northern pikeFair numbers6.3per gill net20"Typical35"Biggest
Lengths measured · 126 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024 + 2025Lengths measured · 3 fish
2025Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 44 fish
2024Lengths measured · 79 fish
2022Lengths measured · 76 fish
2017BluegillJust a few19.4per trap net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 1145 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024 + 2025Lengths measured · 100 fish
2025Lengths measured · 647 fish
2024Lengths measured · 398 fish
2022Lengths measured · 223 fish
2017CrappiePresent1per gill net4"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 18 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 15 fish
2024Lengths measured · 3 fish
2022Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 103 fish
2017Lengths measured · 3 fish
2012Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Yellow perchGood numbers9.8per gill net7"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 176 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 52 fish
2024Lengths measured · 124 fish
2022Lengths measured · 39 fish
2019Lengths measured · 114 fish
2018Rock bassExcellent numbers5per gill net8"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 146 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024 + 2025Lengths measured · 3 fish
2025Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 61 fish
2024Lengths measured · 82 fish
2022Lengths measured · 51 fish
2017Rates 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
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 14.4 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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 59 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. At 14.4 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. On a lake that drops to 59 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.
Size history
Biggest fish by survey year
| Survey year | Walleye | Largemouth bass | Northern pike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 25" | 12" | 27" |
| 2024 | 27" | 19" | 35" |
| 2023 | 20" | — | — |
| 2022 | 28" | 19" | 32" |
| 2021 | 27" | — | — |
| 2020 | 20" | — | — |
| 2019 | 17" | — | — |
| 2018 | 14" | — | — |
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
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
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 · 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.
DNR stocking records
Stocking history
| Year | Species | Stocked |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Walleye | 474,000 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 474,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 474,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 474,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 474,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Fall night electrofishing was conducted on 9/9/2025. Night electrofishing in the fall is a common method used to monitor the abundance of young-of-the-year (YOY) and yearling (age 1) Walleye. This survey is intended to provide information on Walleye survival and recruitment (both natural and from fry stocking) and will be conducted annually as time permits.
The entire length of the shoreline was sampled for a total sample time of 1 hour and 50 minutes. This resulted in a YOY Walleye catch rate of 5.5 per hour. The 2025 YOY catch rate was up a bit from the 2024 assessment (4 per hour) but was the lowest on record for a fry stocked year. Previous catch rates during fry stocked years ranged from 25.0 to 45.7 YOY per hour and averaged 33.5 YOY per hour. Some natural reproduction occurs but is not enough to sustain the desired Walleye fishery and meet management goals, therefore Walleye fry are stocked in alternating odd years. YOY catch rates in non-stocked years have ranged from 4.0 to 16.6 per hour and averaged 8.8 per hour.
Read the full DNR narrative
Young-of-year Walleye ranged from 4.8 to 6.4 inches and averaged 5.5 inches, similar to other stocked years. The catch rate for age-1 Walleye was 5.5 per hour and within the range of past catch rates.
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
- Waukenabo Lake · 668 ac · 1.5 mi
- Esquagamah Lake · 842 ac · 2.2 mi
- Moulton Lake · 258 ac · 5.7 mi
- Blind Lake · 304 ac · 6.8 mi
- Gun Lake · 712 ac · 8.1 mi
- Lows Lake · 302 ac · 8.5 mi
- French Lake · 149 ac · 8.6 mi
- Twin Lake · 79 ac · 9.3 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Round Lake?
Round Lake reaches 59 ft at its deepest point; about 75% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Round Lake?
Round Lake covers 634 acres with about 3.7 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Round Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Round Lake average 14.4 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Round Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
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 walleye get in Round Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 28"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2018.
When was Round Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Round Lake in 2025, the most recent of 27 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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