Minnesota · Itasca County

Turtle Lake Fishing guide

Turtle Lake is a 2,126-acre lake in Itasca County, Minnesota, reaching 137 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 14.8 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 14 times, most recently in 2017, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets. That survey is 9 years old now.

Open the live map → Survey data

Depth to 137 ft · top 5 summer marks

Surface2,126 ac

Max depth137 ft

Clarity14.8 ft

Littoral26%

Surveyed2017

How to fish Turtle Lake through the year

Walleye

Spring: Walleye are shallow, on and just off the spawning flats and the first green weeds. At 14.8 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
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. On a lake that drops to 137 ft, check the deep edge of that structure too.
Fall: Walleye are packing onto the sharpest breaks and points as the water cools, in big schools with short windows.

Smallmouth bass

Spring: Smallmouth are on shallow rock, gravel and sand where they spawn. At 14.8 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 137 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.

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	Smallmouth bass	Largemouth bass
2017	29"	20"	16"
2010	25"	20"	17"
2005	28"	19"	17"
2000	29"	18"	15"
1995	27"	18"	18"

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 · Live bait

Live-Bait (Lindy) Rig + Leech/Crawler

jumbo leech or half a nightcrawler

8–35 ftslow

Shop octopus hooks →

Walleye · Trolling

Leadcore Line + Crankbaits

4–5" mid-diving crankbait behind a long leadcore run

15–45 fttrolling

Shop deep-diving crankbaits →

Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics

Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)

4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic

8–40 ftdead slowweedless

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Smallmouth bass · Jigs & bladed

Tail Spinner

Compact lead body with a free-spinning blade on the tail

10–35 ftmoderate

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Largemouth bass · Soft plastics

Texas-Rigged Worm

7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm

1–25 ftdead slow

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Largemouth bass · Soft plastics

Free Rig

Creature bait or magnum finesse worm

8–30 ftdead slowweedless

Shop creature baits →

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	9,652 fingerlings
2023	Walleye	12,959 fingerlings
2021	Walleye	11,020 fingerlings
2019	Walleye	20,536 fingerlings
2017	Walleye	14,988 fingerlings

MN DNR · in their words

From the 2017 survey

Turtle Lake is a 2,052 acre lake with 556 littoral acres (27%) and a maximum depth of 137 feet. The 25.8 mile shoreline is moderately developed but interspersed with large undeveloped parcels. There are two inlets, from Hatch and Maple Lake(s), and one outlet through Turtle River. There is a small US Forest Service access on the northeast shore with limited parking. Walleye are a primary management species and have been stocked at various rates and frequencies in the past, but have been stocked at a rate of one pound/littoral acre (556 pounds) in even years since 2002. Rusty crayfish, an invasive species, has been documented at various abundances in past surveys.

The fisheries lake management plan (LMP) was last revised in 2011. Walleye were listed as the primary management species with a management goal of maintaining a gill net catch rate above 4.0/net. Smallmouth Bass are also considered a primary management species. The goal was to increase or maintain Smallmouth Bass PSD-11 above 80, RSD-14 above 60 and RSD-17 above 20 with a gill net catch rate above 3.0/net. A 12 to 20 inch with one over 20 inches in possession protected slot length special regulation was implemented in the spring of 2006. Northern Pike are considered a secondary management species with management goals of a catch rate less than 3.0/net and fish greater than 34 inches present. Black Crappie and Largemouth Bass are also considered secondary management species. The purpose of the survey was to evaluate fingerling stocking and the status of the fishery.

Read the full DNR narrative

Turtle Lake has a long history of Walleye catches that are comparable to lakes with similar habitats. The 2017 catch rate of 4.9/gill net was similar to the previous surveys and met the management goals. There was a diverse range of sizes sampled, similar to previous assessments. Lengths ranged from 12.1 to 29.3 inches with an average length of 17.7 inches. Age analysis suggested year classes were fairly well dispersed.

This was the second survey since the Smallmouth Bass regulation was implemented. Smallmouth Bass were sampled at a rate of 3.9/gill net, similar to previous surveys and exceeding management goals. Size structure was good, surpassing management goals and the previous survey. Lengths ranged from 6.1 to 20.1 inches with an average length of 16.2 inches. Electrofishing was also conducted to complement the sample size. Lengths from the electrofishing sample ranged from 4.9 to 19.4 inches with an average length of 14.0 inches.

Northern Pike are not abundant and typically sampled below the expected range for similar lakes. The low catches are likely related to limited spawning habitat. The 2017 catch was the lowest since 1954. Lengths ranged from 19.3 to 37.1 inches with a mean length of 24.2 inches. Northern Pike averaged 24.5 inches by age 4.

Black Crappie were caught in relatively low numbers yet comparable to lakes with similar habitats. Sample size was too small to accurately assess size structure, though fish almost 12 inches were sampled.

Yellow Perch were sampled at a rate lower than expected yet similar to previous surveys. Lengths ranged from 5.3 to 8.4 inches. Tullibee were the most abundant species sampled in gill nets, while still within the expected range. Tullibee are likely an important prey species due in part to the range of sizes available and the lack of Yellow Perch.

Other species sampled included Bluegill, Bowfin, Lake Whitefish, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Rock Bass, Yellow Bullhead and White Sucker.

Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.

Recent reports

Turtle Lake fishing reports

Recent reports on Turtle 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.

Open the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report

Itasca County reports

Public water access

Getting on the water

Turtle Lake (trailer launch)

DNR bathymetry

Turtle Lake depth map

Turtle Lake depth contour map, Itasca County, Minnesota — Depth contours to 137 ft from Minnesota DNR bathymetry, free to save or print. The live map adds ranked spots and conditions on the same contours.

Within 30 miles

Nearby lakes

Maple Lake · 255 ac · 1.6 mi
Johnson Lake · 304 ac · 2.6 mi
Little Turtle Lake · 492 ac · 2.7 mi
Horseshoe Lake · 260 ac · 2.8 mi
Bello Lake · 527 ac · 2.8 mi
Hatch Lake · 226 ac · 3 mi
Jack the Horse Lake · 364 ac · 3.7 mi
Big Too Much Lake · 292 ac · 3.8 mi

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

How deep is Turtle Lake?

Turtle Lake reaches 137 ft at its deepest point; about 26% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).

How big is Turtle Lake?

Turtle Lake covers 2,126 acres with about 25.8 miles of shoreline.

How clear is the water in Turtle Lake?

DNR Secchi readings on Turtle Lake average 14.8 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.

What fish are in Turtle Lake?

Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2017) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.

Is Turtle Lake stocked?

Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.

Does Turtle Lake have a public access?

Yes. Turtle Lake has one public access site: Turtle Lake (trailer launch).

How big do walleye get in Turtle Lake?

The biggest walleye measured in recent DNR surveys taped 29"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1995.

When was Turtle Lake last surveyed?

The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Turtle Lake in 2017, the most recent of 14 surveys on record. A survey that old is a starting point, not a current reading.

Page updated September 22, 2026.

The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Turtle Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:

Open Turtle Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report