Minnesota · St. Louis County
Spring Lake Fishing guide
Spring Lake sits in St. Louis County, Minnesota, and covers 219 acres, reaching 60 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 13.7 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 7 times, most recently in 2024, with largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike and yellow perch in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
Smallmouth bassPresent2.2per gill net13"Typical17"Biggest
Lengths measured · 13 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 13 fish
2024Lengths measured · 14 fish
2014Lengths measured · 8 fish
2009Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 8 fish
1997Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Northern pikeJust a few3per gill net25"Typical31"Biggest
Lengths measured · 18 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 18 fish
2024Lengths measured · 3 fish
2014Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 1 fish
2009Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 1 fish
1997Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Yellow perchFair numbers3.2per gill net6"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 19 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 19 fish
2024Lengths measured · 23 fish
1997Present and managed by the DNR. Standard survey gear does not count this species reliably.
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 Spring Lake through the year
Smallmouth bass
- Spring
- Smallmouth are on shallow rock, gravel and sand where they spawn. At 13.7 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- Early summer
- Smallmouth are post-spawn on rock points, gravel bars and the adjacent breaks.
- Summer
- Smallmouth are on rock humps, points and hard-bottom breaks. On a lake that drops to 60 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- Fall
- Smallmouth are bunched tight on deep rock, so find one and you have found the school.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 13.7 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. On a lake that drops to 60 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
- 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 | Smallmouth bass | Northern pike | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 17" | 31" | — |
| 2014 | 19" | 44" | — |
| 2009 | 15" | 27" | — |
| 1997 | 18" | 24" | — |
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:
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)
4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic
Smallmouth bass · Jigs & bladed
Tail Spinner
Compact lead body with a free-spinning blade on the tail
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
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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Lake Trout | 1,950 yearlings |
| 2018 | Lake Trout | 2,138 yearlings |
| 2017 | Lake Trout | 2,390 yearlings |
| 2016 | Lake Trout | 1,000 yearlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
Temperature and dissolved oxygen measurements were collected in the deepest basin in Spring Lake on August 1, 2024 to evaluate the quantity and quality of cold, oxygenated water (i.e., oxythermal habitat) available to Lake Whitefish the most sensitive coldwater species present in this lake (Cisco also present). During the summer, Lake Whitefish require a layer of oxythermal habitat that contains water temperatures below 17.2 degrees C (63.0 degrees F) and dissolved oxygen concentrations above 3.0 mg/L. Based on the profile from the deepest basin, the water temperature decreased to below 17.2 degrees C (63.0 degrees F) at 19.7 feet and the dissolved oxygen concentration decreased to 3.0 mg/L at 41.5 feet at the time of sampling. The thickness of this layer of water in the water column was 21.9 feet, indicating that oxythermal habitat was present for Lake Whitefish.
Further, the temperature at which dissolved oxygen decreased to 3.0 mg/L (i.e., TDO3, a single variable to characterize oxythermal habitat) was 7.6 degrees C (45.7 degrees F). TDO3 values cooler than 17.2 degrees C (63.0 degrees F) indicate that oxythermal conditions were suitable for Lake Whitefish at the time of the survey.
Read the full DNR narrative
Data collected by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources during the late summer period of maximum oxythermal stress in 2019, 2016, 2014, and 2009 also indicate suitable oxythermal habitat in all years. When inadequate oxythermal habitat is available, Lake Whitefish are squeezed into unfavorable, warmer water conditions and experience higher levels of stress.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Spring Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Spring 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
- Public access: Access via shallow outlet channel from Johnson Lake.
DNR bathymetry
Spring Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Tooth Lake · 59 ac · 2 mi
- Little Johnson Lake · 566 ac · 2.2 mi
- Net Lake · 70 ac · 2.2 mi
- Johnson Lake · 1,737 ac · 2.4 mi
- Moose Lake · 228 ac · 4.7 mi
- Namakan Lake · 24,066 ac · 5 mi
- Franklin Lake · 156 ac · 5 mi
- Little Trout Lake · 272 ac · 5.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Spring Lake?
Spring Lake reaches 60 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 32.7 ft; about 22% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Spring Lake?
Spring Lake covers 219 acres with about 4.5 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Spring Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Spring Lake average 13.7 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Spring Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch, lake trout, rock bass.
Is Spring Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked lake trout in 2019; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
Does Spring Lake have a public access?
Yes. Spring Lake has one public access site: Public access (Access via shallow outlet channel from Johnson Lake.).
How big do smallmouth bass get in Spring Lake?
The biggest smallmouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 17"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1997.
When was Spring Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Spring Lake in 2024, the most recent of 7 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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