Minnesota · Mille Lacs County
Shakopee Lake Fishing guide
Shakopee Lake sits in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, and covers 584 acres, reaching 15 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 7.1 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 8 times, most recently in 2021, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2024Fair numbers1.1per gill net22"Typical28"Biggest
Lengths measured · 13 fish
Recent · 2020 + 2021Lengths measured · 4 fish
2021Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 9 fish
2020Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 8 fish
2013Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 30 fish
2007No recent survey rating.
Northern pikeExcellent numbers15.1per gill net21"Typical33"Biggest
Lengths measured · 126 fish
Recent · 2020 + 2021Lengths measured · 6 fish
2021Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 120 fish
2020Lengths measured · 125 fish
2013Lengths measured · 89 fish
2007BluegillLast stocked 2022Present, stocked162.9per hr (electrofishing)6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 1147 fish
Recent · 2020 + 2021Lengths measured · 876 fish
2021Lengths measured · 271 fish
2020Lengths measured · 160 fish
2013Lengths measured · 378 fish
2007CrappieLast stocked 2022Present, stocked2.9per gill net7"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 32 fish
Recent · 2020 + 2021Lengths measured · 9 fish
2021Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 23 fish
2020Lengths measured · 14 fish
2013Lengths measured · 32 fish
2007Yellow perchExcellent numbers18.5per gill net5"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 147 fish
Recent · 2020Lengths measured · 147 fish
2020Lengths measured · 75 fish
2013Lengths measured · 23 fish
2007Lengths measured · 210 fish
2001Last recorded in the 2013 survey and not seen since.
Rock bassJust a few0.3per gill net8"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 10 fish
Recent · 2020 + 2021Lengths measured · 8 fish
2021Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 2 fish
2020Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 2 fish
2007Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 1 fish
2001Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
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 Shakopee Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth.
- 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 100% 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. A 15-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows. A 15-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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 | Northern pike | Walleye | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 27" | 27" | — |
| 2020 | 33" | 28" | 20" |
| 2013 | 35" | 22" | 8" |
| 2007 | 36" | 28" | 14" |
| 2001 | 31" | 21" | 6" |
| 1995 | 35" | 26" | 9" |
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:
Northern pike · Hardbaits
Weedless Spoon + Trailer (Silver Minnow)
3/8–1/2 oz weedless spoon
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
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 · Soft plastics
Tokyo Rig
Creature bait or craw Texas-rigged on the rig's hook
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Walleye | 350,000 fry |
| 2022 | Black Crappie | 15 adults |
| 2022 | Bluegill Sunfish | 40 adults |
| 2022 | Largemouth Bass | 110 adults |
| 2022 | Walleye | 300,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 300,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 300,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 2,417,185 fry |
| 2016 | Walleye | 1,200,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2021 survey
Spring Trap netting was performed June 1-3, 2021 to provide pre-regulation data on the Bluegill size structure. A bag limit of 5 sunfish was implemented on March 1, 2022 as Shakopee Lake was selected for participation in the statewide Quality Sunfish Initiative. The objective of the lowered bag limit is to reduce sunfish harvest and allow for more fish to attain larger sizes (8-10 inches). Spring trap netting is the preferred method for evaluating panfish populations. Several similar spring efforts are planned over the 10 year evaluation period to assess potential changes resulting from the 5 sunfish bag limit.
Spring trap netting in 2021 captured 876 Bluegill of which 500 were measured. Bluegill ranged from 3.2 - 9.8 inches and mean length was 6.96 inches. Many of the fish were of sizes desired by anglers, as fish over 7 inches comprised 45% of the catch and fish greater than 8 inches made up 10% of the sample. Bluegill 9 inches or greater made up less than 1% of the catch. The lake maintains a favorable size structure for Bluegills despite the heavy fishing pressure evident during the winter and open water seasons. It is suspected that a reduction in harvest though to the lowered bag limit will result in an increased presence of larger fish in the 8-10 inch range. Bluegill size structure goals developed for the Quality Sunfish Initiative aim for at least 50% of the sample to exceed 7 inches, 20% to exceed 8 inches and 5% over 9 inches. Whether voluntary or required due to the reduced bag limit, release of larger sunfish, especially fish over 9 inches will be important if the lake is to realize its potential in reaching management goals. Additional criteria that may be used to measure success of the reduced sunfish bag limit include mean size, catch rate of fish over 8 inches, and mean length of top 10% of fish.
Read the full DNR narrative
Bluegills in Shakopee show decent but not fast growth rates, with fish attaining 6.4 inches at Age 5 and 7.5 inches at Age 7. Growth was sustained well past 8 inches.
Spring trap nets produced a small sample of nine Black Crappies. Catches of crappie can be quite variable in the spring. The continued use of spring trap nets to evaluate the sunfish population may prove useful in assessing crappie population characteristics. The crappie bag limit remains at 10 fish.
Pumpkinseed were relatively abundant in the 2021 spring trap nets, as 149 fish were observed. A subsample of 27 Pumpkinseeds was measured and maximum length was just 7.05 inches. Mean length was 5.78 inches. A total of 26 Hybrid Sunfish were also sampled but none were measured.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Shakopee Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Shakopee 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
- Shakopee Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Shakopee Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Black Bass Lake · 32 ac · 1.5 mi
- Peavy Lake · 141 ac · 7.9 mi
- Whitefish Lake · 709 ac · 8 mi
- Long Lake · 126 ac · 8.6 mi
- Rock Lake · 203 ac · 9.4 mi
- Mille Lacs Lake · 128,250 ac · 9.7 mi
- Platte Lake · 1,663 ac · 10.4 mi
- Erskine Lake · 182 ac · 10.5 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Shakopee Lake?
Shakopee Lake reaches 15 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Shakopee Lake?
Shakopee Lake covers 584 acres with about 4.6 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Shakopee Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Shakopee Lake average 7.1 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Shakopee Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2021) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, tiger muskellunge, rock bass.
Is Shakopee Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2024; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Shakopee Lake have a public access?
Yes. Shakopee Lake has one public access site: Shakopee Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Shakopee Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 33"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.
When was Shakopee Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Shakopee Lake in 2021, the most recent of 8 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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