Minnesota · Cook County
Tait Lake Fishing guide
Tait Lake covers 355 acres in Cook County, Minnesota, reaching 15 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 7.2 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 10 times, most recently in 2022, with walleye, northern pike, bluegill and yellow perch in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeExcellent numbers6per gill net14"Typical27"Biggest
Lengths measured · 92 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 92 fish
2022Lengths measured · 57 fish
2017Lengths measured · 78 fish
2015Lengths measured · 79 fish
2013Northern pikeJust a few2per gill net21"Typical26"Biggest
Lengths measured · 23 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 23 fish
2022Lengths measured · 19 fish
2017Lengths measured · 23 fish
2015Lengths measured · 35 fish
2013BluegillJust a few0.7per trap net3"Typical6"Biggest
Lengths measured · 17 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 17 fish
2022Lengths measured · 7 fish
2017Only 7 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 11 fish
2015Lengths measured · 9 fish
2013Only 9 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Yellow perchGood numbers5.1per gill net1"Typical8"Biggest
Lengths measured · 5036 fish
Recent · 2022Lengths measured · 5036 fish
2022Lengths measured · 98 fish
2017Lengths measured · 51 fish
2015Lengths measured · 24 fish
2013Rates 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 Tait 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. With 100% 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 15-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
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 100% 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 15-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 | Walleye | Northern pike | Yellow perch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 27" | 26" | 8" |
| 2017 | 21" | 27" | 10" |
| 2015 | 25" | 25" | 11" |
| 2013 | 20" | 28" | 11" |
| 2011 | 22" | 38" | 12" |
| 2009 | 28" | 20" | 12" |
| 2000 | 21" | 35" | 11" |
| 1995 | 21" | 25" | 12" |
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
Northern pike · Hardbaits
Weedless Spoon + Trailer (Silver Minnow)
3/8–1/2 oz weedless spoon
Northern pike · Soft plastics
Paddletail Swimbait on Jighead
4–5" paddletail swimbait on a ball-head swimbait jighead
Yellow perch · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
Yellow perch · Live bait
Slip Bobber + Leech
jumbo or large leech
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 2022 survey
Tait Lake is located about twelve miles north of the Town of Lutsen and is accessible via a US Forest Service administered boat launch located on the west end of the lake. The lake has been part of the MNDNR Sentinel Lakes program since 2009, which resulted in high frequency lake surveys through 2017 to provide baseline monitoring data necessary for tracking potential changes in the fish community. The lake management plan for Tait Lake was revised in 2020 and reduced the survey frequency to five years. Walleye were retained as the primary management species for Tait Lake with a long-range goal of maintaining a population with a minimum gill net catch of 5.0 fish/set. Northern Pike remained the secondary management species, with a long-range goal of maintaining gill net catch of 2.0 fish/set and the presence of some fish over 25 inches. This was the first of two surveys scheduled in the 2020 LMP to determine if long-range goals identified for the Walleye and Northern Pike populations were being met and to monitor for potential changes in the fish community.
Walleye were first introduced into Tait Lake in 1939 and were stocked a few additional times between 1948 and 1967. Walleye gill net catches in Tait Lake since 1970 have ranged from 17.7 to 4.1 fish/set, with catches on the lower end of that range occurring in the last three surveys of the lake. Walleye appeared moderately abundant in 2022 and the gill net catch surpassed the goal set for the population. The gill net sample included fish from 6.9 to 27.4 inches, although the mean length of Walleye captured in that gear was only 12.7 inches. The 2022 Walleye catch in 0.75-inch-mesh trap nets was above average compared to similar lakes in this area but was typical for results from Tait Lake. Walleye sampled in trap nets tended to be larger with a mean length of 15.6 inches. The total Walleye sample included fish from 12 naturally produced year classes (age-1 through age-13). Walleye natural recruitment appeared very consistent, with no missing year classes between ages one and eight, and moderately strong representation from the 2018-2021 year classes. Walleye growth was slightly faster than average. Walleye sampled in 2022 averaged 14.2 inches at the end of their fourth year, compared to an area mean of 13.3 inches at that age.
Read the full DNR narrative
Northern Pike gill net catches in Tait Lake have varied considerably over the years but have generally been low compared to similar lakes in the area. The 2022 Northern Pike gill net catch fell within the typical range observed for the lake and met the catch goal identified for the population. The size goal was also met based on the capture of a couple fish larger than 25 inches in gill nets and trap nets; however, most of the Northern Pike sampled in 2022 were less than 22 inches. Six year classes contributed to the catch, including fish as old as age-7, although most of the fish sampled in 2022 were age-3. Growth rates of those fish had been about average; fish reached a mean length of 18.4 inches at the end of their third year, compared to an area mean of 18.1 inches populations in similar lakes.
Forage for Walleye and Northern Pike was provided mainly by Yellow Perch, which were present at average abundances in the 2022 gill net catch. The gill net and standard trap net samples included age-1 through age-3 Yellow Perch, although over 78% were age-2 fish that averaged 6.4 inches at capture. Historically, Yellow Perch samples from Tait Lake have included fair numbers of larger fish (> 9.0 inches) that are preferred by anglers, but fish of that caliber were not observed in 2022. Young-of-year (YOY) Yellow Perch were very abundant in 0.25-inch-mesh trap nets (1,782 YOY/set), indicating good reproductive success occurred in 2022.
Tait Lake continued to support modest numbers of mostly small Pumpkinseed and Bluegill in 2022. Gill net and standard trap net catches for both species were comparable to historic values for this lake. The Bluegill sample included age-1 through age-3 fish, with age-2 fish reaching an average of 4.5 inches when sampled. Very few fish of either species would have been large enough to have been of much interest to anglers.
The White Sucker gill net catch in 2022 was similar to catch rates observed in Tait Lake since 2000. A few of the White Sucker sample from 2022 were small enough to serve as forage for larger Walleye and Northern Pike. Additional species sampled in 0.25-inch-mesh trap nets deployed in 2022 included Blacknose Shiner and Golden Shiner, which also may have contributed to the available forage base for predator species.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Tait Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Tait 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
- Tait Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Tait Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Lichen Lake · 253 ac · 2.2 mi
- Little Cascade Lake · 262 ac · 2.8 mi
- Gust Lake · 143 ac · 2.8 mi
- Jock Mock Lake · 20 ac · 2.9 mi
- Bouder Lake · 129 ac · 3 mi
- Holly Lake · 76 ac · 3 mi
- Kinogami Lake · 111 ac · 3 mi
- Crescent Lake · 756 ac · 3.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Tait Lake?
Tait Lake reaches 15 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Tait Lake?
Tait Lake covers 355 acres with about 6.6 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Tait Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Tait Lake average 7.2 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Tait Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2022) record walleye, northern pike, bluegill, yellow perch.
Is Tait Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Tait Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Tait Lake have a public access?
Yes. Tait Lake has one public access site: Tait Lake (trailer launch).
How big do walleye get in Tait Lake?
The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 27"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.
When was Tait Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Tait Lake in 2022, the most recent of 10 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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