Minnesota · Chisago County
Sunrise Lake Fishing guide
Sunrise Lake covers 796 acres in Chisago County, Minnesota, reaching 21 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 2 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 4 times, most recently in 2008, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 18 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
Largemouth bassGood numbers52.8per hr (electrofishing)13"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 59 fish
Recent · 2008Lengths measured · 59 fish
2008Lengths measured · 87 fish
2003Lengths measured · 65 fish
1998Lengths measured · 60 fish
1993Northern pikeJust a few2.4per gill net26"Typical40"Biggest
Lengths measured · 27 fish
Recent · 2008Lengths measured · 27 fish
2008Lengths measured · 91 fish
2003Lengths measured · 29 fish
1998Lengths measured · 11 fish
1993BluegillJust a few22.5per trap net6"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 348 fish
Recent · 2008Lengths measured · 348 fish
2008Lengths measured · 660 fish
2003Lengths measured · 2260 fish
1998Lengths measured · 576 fish
1993CrappieFair numbers13.2per trap net7"Typical10"Biggest
Lengths measured · 327 fish
Recent · 2008Lengths measured · 327 fish
2008Lengths measured · 281 fish
2003Lengths measured · 341 fish
1998Lengths measured · 345 fish
1993Rates 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 Sunrise Lake through the year
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. In 2 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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. With 89% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Largemouth are chasing bait back onto the flats and into the remaining green weeds, feeding hard and shallow before the freeze.
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. In 2 ft of visibility, they sit shallower than you think.
- 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 89% 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.
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 | Largemouth bass | Northern pike | Crappie |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 19" | 40" | 10" |
| 2003 | 19" | 38" | 11" |
| 1998 | 16" | 37" | 9" |
| 1993 | 16" | 32" | 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:
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic 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
Crappie · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Crappie · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner jighead
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 2008 survey
Sunrise is a shallow, 742 acre lake located 3 miles north of Lindstrom, MN. The lake's turbidity and fertility is high while lakeshore development and fishing pressure is light. The maximum depth is 21 feet but only 4% of the lake exceeds 15 feet. Purchase and development of a public access is a management priority. A private access with a fee is available on the east side of the lake.
Ample angling opportunities are available on the lake. Northern pike and largemouth bass abundance has decreased since the 2003 assessment, but with a subsequent increase in size. Bass quality is high averaging 13.8 inches and 1.5 pounds. The northern size is also impressive. The twenty seven northern pike sampled averaged 27.8 inches with one individual exceeding 40 inches. Black crappie and bluegill remain very abundant. Crappie size has improved in recent years. The current assessment found 40% of the fish 8 inches or longer. Bluegill would be considered small by most anglers with a 6 inch average and relatively few fish over 7 inches.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Sunrise Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Sunrise 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 (permit required): Private access.
DNR bathymetry
Sunrise Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- North Center Lake · 749 ac · 2.1 mi
- North Lindstrom Lake · 142 ac · 2.3 mi
- South Lindstrom Lake · 455 ac · 3.2 mi
- Little Lake · 168 ac · 3.6 mi
- South Center Lake · 910 ac · 3.9 mi
- Chisago Lake · 944 ac · 4.9 mi
- Kroon Lake · 193 ac · 5.1 mi
- Green Lake · 1,810 ac · 6.9 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Sunrise Lake?
Sunrise Lake reaches 21 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 4 ft; about 89% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Sunrise Lake?
Sunrise Lake covers 796 acres with about 6.8 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Sunrise Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Sunrise Lake average 2 ft of visibility, on the stained end for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Sunrise Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2008) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Sunrise Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Sunrise Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Sunrise Lake have a public access?
Yes. Sunrise Lake has one public access site: Public access (Private access.).
How big do largemouth bass get in Sunrise Lake?
The biggest largemouth bass measured in recent DNR surveys taped 19"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1993.
When was Sunrise Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Sunrise Lake in 2008, the most recent of 4 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.
Page updated .
Featured guide spot
Your guide service here
One featured guide per lake, with your photo, your writeup and a link straight to your booking page. Free through December 31, 2026.
Then $20 a month from January. Cancel any time.
The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Sunrise Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
Open Sunrise Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report