Minnesota · Ramsey County
Turtle Lake Fishing guide
Turtle Lake sits in Ramsey County, Minnesota, and covers 450 acres, reaching 28 ft at its deepest point. Secchi readings average around 8.3 ft of visibility. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 13 times, most recently in 2025, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
WalleyeLast stocked 2025Excellent numbers7per gill net16"Typical25"Biggest
Lengths measured · 84 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 32 fish
2025Lengths measured · 52 fish
2022Lengths measured · 11 fish
2020Lengths measured · 40 fish
2019Largemouth bassPresent2.1per gill net14"Typical19"Biggest
Lengths measured · 26 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 18 fish
2025Lengths measured · 8 fish
2022Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 4 fish
2020Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 21 fish
2019Northern pikeFair numbers8.7per gill net19"Typical37"Biggest
Lengths measured · 104 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 58 fish
2025Lengths measured · 46 fish
2022Lengths measured · 4 fish
2020Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 88 fish
2019BluegillPresent2.9per gill net4"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 34 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 4 fish
2025Only 4 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 30 fish
2022Lengths measured · 143 fish
2020Lengths measured · 58 fish
2019CrappiePresent2.7per gill net7"Typical11"Biggest
Lengths measured · 32 fish
Recent · 2022 + 2025Lengths measured · 6 fish
2025Only 6 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 26 fish
2022Lengths measured · 8 fish
2020Only 8 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 14 fish
2019No recent survey rating.
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 Turtle 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.
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.
- 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 | Walleye | Northern pike | Largemouth bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 22" | 35" | 18" |
| 2022 | 25" | 37" | 19" |
| 2020 | 22" | 28" | 19" |
| 2019 | 21" | 30" | 19" |
| 2018 | — | — | 19" |
| 2017 | 27" | 36" | 18" |
| 2013 | 22" | 37" | 16" |
| 2007 | 21" | 33" | 17" |
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 · 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
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
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 | 5,635 fingerlings |
| 2024 | Walleye | 1,848 fingerlings |
| 2023 | Walleye | 1,372 fingerlings |
| 2022 | Walleye | 3,354 fingerlings |
| 2021 | Walleye | 720 adults |
| 2020 | Walleye | 1,147 yearlings |
| 2019 | Walleye | 7,083 fingerlings |
| 2018 | Walleye | 1,982 fingerlings · 2,144 yearlings |
| 2016 | Walleye | 4,312 fingerlings · 6 adults |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2025 survey
Turtle Lake is located in Shoreview and is categorized as lake class 24. It has a surface acreage of 409 acres with 245 acres being littoral (60%) and a maximum depth of 28 feet. Most of the shoreline is developed as single-family homes. Ramsey County Parks operates a popular park facility in the southeast corner of the lake. Facilities include a picnic area, boat ramp and swimming beach. Walleye and Largemouth Bass are the primary management species in this lake. Walleye fingerlings are stocked annually at 1pounds/littoral-acre (245 pounds). An experimental regulation for Largemouth Bass was put in place in 2020 with a protected slot of 14-20 inches. The goal of this regulation is to allow harvest of smaller bass and shift the size structure in the lake to a larger average size. The bass population is assessed by separate spring electrofishing surveys while this year's survey was focused on sampling the Walleye population with gill nets. The previous gill net survey was conducted in 2022.
Typical relative to recent surveys of the lake and higher than average for the lake class, Walleye were sampled at a rate of 5.3 fish per net. Fish size was also typical for both the lake and the lake class with a mean length of 17.7 inches. Sizes were well distributed from 12.5 to 22.7 inches. Ages ranged from 1 to 11 years with the majority of walleyes being 2 and 6 years old.
Read the full DNR narrative
Northern Pike were sampled at a rate of 9.7 fish per gill net, exceeding the 75th percentile for the lake class and typical relative to historical surveys of the lake. Size was small for the lake class but similar to past surveys with a mean length of 20 inches. All pike sampled were less than 23 inches except for one standout fish just under 36 inches. Other species sampled were: Black Crappie, Bluegill, Bowfin, Common Carp, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead.
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.
Public water access
Getting on the water
- Turtle Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Turtle Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Pleasant Lake · 607 ac · 1.7 mi
- Snail Lake · 158 ac · 1.8 mi
- Golden Lake · 58 ac · 2.9 mi
- Island Lake · 59 ac · 3.1 mi
- West Vadnais Lake · 212 ac · 3.5 mi
- Long Lake · 173 ac · 3.5 mi
- Wabasso Lake · 43 ac · 3.8 mi
- East Vadnais Lake · 393 ac · 3.9 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Turtle Lake?
Turtle Lake reaches 28 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 12 ft; about 54% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Turtle Lake?
Turtle Lake covers 450 acres with about 3.6 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Turtle Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Turtle Lake average 8.3 ft of visibility, middling clarity for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Turtle Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2025) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is Turtle Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2016.
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 25"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 2007.
When was Turtle Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Turtle Lake in 2025, the most recent of 13 surveys on record.
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 Turtle Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
Open Turtle Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report