Minnesota · Hennepin County
Staring Lake Fishing guide
Staring Lake is a 167-acre lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota, reaching 16 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 4.2 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 9 times, most recently in 2022, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
Northern pikeGood numbers13.8per gill net25"Typical37"Biggest
Lengths measured · 58 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 58 fish
2021Lengths measured · 84 fish
2015Lengths measured · 32 fish
2008Lengths measured · 46 fish
2002BluegillLast stocked 2023One of the best around170.7per trap net5"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 1688 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 1688 fish
2021Lengths measured · 55 fish
2015Lengths measured · 272 fish
2008Lengths measured · 86 fish
2002CrappieLast stocked 2023Just a few2per trap net6"Typical13"Biggest
Lengths measured · 49 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 49 fish
2021Lengths measured · 200 fish
2015Lengths measured · 189 fish
2008Lengths measured · 25 fish
2002Yellow perchGood numbers5.8per gill net5"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 23 fish
Recent · 2021Lengths measured · 23 fish
2021Lengths measured · 82 fish
2015Lengths measured · 5 fish
2008Only 5 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 376 fish
2002Rates 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 Staring 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 87% 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 16-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 87% 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 16-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 | 37" | 16" | 12" |
| 2015 | 34" | — | 18" |
| 2008 | 34" | — | 18" |
| 2002 | 35" | — | 8" |
| 1995 | 34" | — | 19" |
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 · 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
Walleye · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Black Crappie | 40 adults |
| 2023 | Bluegill Sunfish | 28 adults |
| 2023 | Largemouth Bass | 29 adults |
| 2019 | Bluegill Sunfish | 200 adults |
| 2018 | Bluegill Sunfish | 300 adults |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2022 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Staring Lake was conducted on June 21, 2022, by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake, and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at ten sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample eight stations and site conditions prevented the use of seines at two stations. Nearshore sampling captured ten species of fish including no species that are intolerant of disturbance and three that are tolerant of disturbance (i.e., Black Bullhead, Common Carp, and Green Sunfish).
The nearshore data were combined with trap net and gill net data from a June 2021 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., Black Bullhead, Common Carp, and Fathead Minnow). 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.
Read the full DNR narrative
Results from this survey indicate that the fish community in Staring Lake is healthy as indicated by an FIBI score above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. These results are similar to previous survey findings, which indicated that Staring Lake is fully supporting aquatic life use. These results will be considered when the biological health of the lake is assessed during the Lower Minnesota River Watershed assessment process, which will be completed in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.
IBI Program staff also conducted an assessment of lakeshore habitat on June 22, 2022, following the Score the Shore survey protocols. The assessment consisted of 32 survey sites evenly spaced 100 meters around the lake. Assessments were made in three habitat zones: Shoreline Zone (the shore-water interface to the top of the natural bank), Shoreland Zone (land-ward from shoreline to development structure or 100 feet), and Aquatic Zone (lake-ward 50 feet of shoreline). The average lakewide habitat score was 97.0 (+/- 1.0) out of 100 possible, which indicates that lakeshore habitat quality is high overall. Approximately 15 percent of the sites were developed with a mean score of 91.3 (+/- 4.3), while undeveloped sites had a mean score of 98.0 (+/- 0.8).
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Staring Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Staring 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
- Staring Lake (trailer launch)
- Staring Lake Fishing Pier (fishing pier)
DNR bathymetry
Staring Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Red Rock Lake · 97 ac · 1.3 mi
- Mitchell Lake · 114 ac · 2.5 mi
- Round Lake · 31 ac · 2.8 mi
- Bryant Lake · 180 ac · 3.1 mi
- Riley Lake · 296 ac · 3.4 mi
- Quarry Lake · 70 ac · 3.5 mi
- Bush Lake · 171 ac · 3.5 mi
- Hyland Lake · 84 ac · 4.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Staring Lake?
Staring Lake reaches 16 ft at its deepest point; about 87% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Staring Lake?
Staring Lake covers 167 acres with about 2 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Staring Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Staring Lake average 4.2 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Staring Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2022) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Staring Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked black crappie, bluegill sunfish and largemouth bass in 2023; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2018.
Does Staring Lake have a public access?
Yes. Staring Lake has 2 public access sites, including Staring Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Staring Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 37"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.
When was Staring Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Staring Lake in 2022, the most recent of 9 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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