Minnesota · Itasca County
Stingy Lake Fishing guide
Stingy Lake sits in Itasca County, Minnesota, and covers 361 acres, reaching 25 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 5.4 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 11 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Fair numbers3.9per gill net17"Typical24"Biggest
Lengths measured · 40 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 3 fish
2024Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 37 fish
2022Lengths measured · 17 fish
2014Lengths measured · 45 fish
2005Largemouth bassFair numbers36.9per hr (electrofishing)9"Typical18"Biggest
Lengths measured · 14 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 7 fish
2024Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 7 fish
2022Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 1 fish
2014Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 1 fish
2005Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Northern pikeJust a few1.6per gill net26"Typical30"Biggest
Lengths measured · 19 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 19 fish
2022Lengths measured · 44 fish
2014Lengths measured · 40 fish
2005Lengths measured · 27 fish
1998BluegillJust a few14.1per trap net4"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 294 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 100 fish
2024Lengths measured · 194 fish
2022Lengths measured · 79 fish
2014Lengths measured · 263 fish
2005CrappieJust a few1.6per trap net8"Typical12"Biggest
Lengths measured · 77 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 26 fish
2024Lengths measured · 51 fish
2022Lengths measured · 14 fish
2014Lengths measured · 11 fish
2005Yellow perchGood numbers4.6per gill net6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 44 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 2 fish
2024Only 2 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 42 fish
2022Lengths measured · 8 fish
2014Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 25 fish
2005Rock bassOne of the best around3per seine haul6"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 29 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2024Lengths measured · 3 fish
2024Only 3 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 26 fish
2022Lengths measured · 21 fish
2014Lengths measured · 9 fish
2005Only 9 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 Stingy Lake through the year
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 24" | 17" | — |
| 2022 | 23" | 18" | 30" |
| 2014 | 21" | 15" | 37" |
| 2005 | 19" | 6" | 29" |
| 1998 | 19" | — | 29" |
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 · 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
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 | 220,000 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 207,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 207,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 207,000 fry |
| 2017 | Walleye | 207,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Stingy Lake was conducted on August 19th, 2024 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 seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all ten sampling stations, but one station was sampled from the boat due to site conditions. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample three stations, a 15-foot seine was used at four stations, and site conditions prevented the use of seines at three stations. Nearshore sampling captured 17 species of fish including four species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, Mottled Sculpin, and Rock Bass) and no species that are tolerant of disturbance.
A concurrent summer trap net survey was conducted on August 19th, 2024 by IBI Program Staff. Nine trap nets were set along the shoreline and in shallow offshore locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Bluegill and Black Crappie comprised a majority of the trap net catch by number, and Walleye and Bluegill comprised a majority of the catch by biomass. The number of Black Crappie sampled per net was above the 50% quartile for similar Lake Class 29 lakes. Conversely, the number of Bluegill sampled per net was below the 50% quartile for Lake Class 29 lakes.
Read the full DNR narrative
The nearshore and trap net data were combined with gill net data from a June 2022 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, Fathead Minnow, and 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. An additional survey was completed on Stingy Lake in July 2022 resulting in a lower, but similar FIBI score. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.
Fisheries IBI program staff also conducted a survey of lakeshore habitat on Stingy Lake on June 27th, 2024, following the Score the Shore survey protocols. The survey consisted of 37 survey sites evenly spaced 200 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 90.1 (±2.5) out of 100 possible, which indicates the lakewide shoreline condition is High (85-91.9). Approximately 19 percent of the sites were developed with a mean score of 65.7 (±7.6) indicating shoreline habitat quality of developed sites is Poor (50-65.9), while undeveloped sites had a mean score of 95.8 (±1.0) with Excellent (92+) habitat quality.
Data from this survey indicates Stingy Lake is healthy as indicated by an exceptionally high FIBI score, well above the impairment threshold for aquatic life use determined for similar lakes. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Mississippi River - Grand Rapids Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Stingy Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Stingy 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
- Stingy Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Stingy Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Bower Lake · 93 ac · 1.3 mi
- South Sturgeon Lake · 204 ac · 3.6 mi
- O'Leary Lake · 140 ac · 3.7 mi
- West Sturgeon Lake · 117 ac · 5 mi
- Buck Lake · 495 ac · 5.2 mi
- Little Sturgeon Lake · 272 ac · 5.3 mi
- Sturgeon Lake · 1,585 ac · 6.6 mi
- Side Lake · 368 ac · 6.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Stingy Lake?
Stingy Lake reaches 25 ft at its deepest point; about 57% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Stingy Lake?
Stingy Lake covers 361 acres with about 4.7 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Stingy Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Stingy Lake average 5.4 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Stingy Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Stingy Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Stingy Lake have a public access?
Yes. Stingy Lake has one public access site: Stingy Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Stingy 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 1998.
When was Stingy Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Stingy Lake in 2024, the most recent of 11 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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