Minnesota · Itasca County
Snaptail Lake Fishing guide
Snaptail Lake sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, and covers 175 acres, reaching 70 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 13 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 11 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
BluegillJust a few9.4per trap net4"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 85 fish
Recent · 2025Lengths measured · 85 fish
2025Lengths measured · 10 fish
2020Lengths measured · 272 fish
2010Lengths measured · 517 fish
2000Rates 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 Snaptail Lake through the year
Walleye
- Spring
- Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 13 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 70 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 13 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 70 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 | 24" | 6" | 28" |
| 2020 | 24" | 18" | 35" |
| 2010 | 24" | 16" | 31" |
| 2000 | 23" | 15" | 30" |
| 1993 | 25" | 18" | 32" |
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.
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Snaptail Lake, was conducted on August 18th, 2025, by Lake Biological Monitoring and Assessment (LBMA) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all 10 sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample eight stations, a 15-foot seine was used to sample one station, and site conditions (i.e., dense aquatic vegetation) prevented the use of a seine at one station. Nearshore sampling captured 10 species of fish.
A concurrent summer trap net survey was also conducted by LBMA Program Staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline and in shallow offshore locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Trap net sampling captured seven species of fish. Bluegill comprised a majority of the trap net catch by number and Northern Pike, Bluegill, and Walleye comprised a majority by biomass.
Read the full DNR narrative
The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from a June 2020 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Blackchin Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.
The survey results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Mississippi River - Grand Rapids Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency. You can help protect the fish community in Snaptail Lake by reducing runoff, maintaining natural shorelines, and preventing the spread of invasive species.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Snaptail Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Snaptail 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
- Snaptail Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Snaptail Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Lawrence Lake · 437 ac · 2.2 mi
- Lower Balsam Lake · 259 ac · 2.5 mi
- Crooked Lake · 465 ac · 2.7 mi
- Nashwauk Lake · 168 ac · 3.7 mi
- Haskell Lake · 93 ac · 3.8 mi
- Lower Lawrence Lake · 152 ac · 3.9 mi
- Bray Lake · 177 ac · 4.3 mi
- Scrapper Lake · 173 ac · 4.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Snaptail Lake?
Snaptail Lake reaches 70 ft at its deepest point; about 33% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Snaptail Lake?
Snaptail Lake covers 175 acres with about 3.2 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Snaptail Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Snaptail Lake average 13 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Snaptail Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Snaptail Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Snaptail Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Snaptail Lake have a public access?
Yes. Snaptail Lake has one public access site: Snaptail Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Snaptail Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 24"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1993.
When was Snaptail Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Snaptail Lake in 2025, the most recent of 11 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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