Minnesota · Aitkin County
Vanduse Lake Fishing guide
Vanduse Lake is a 240-acre lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota, reaching 27 ft at its deepest point. Average water clarity runs about 13.5 ft. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 8 times, most recently in 2024, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets.
DNR survey data
Fish species
No recent survey rating.
Largemouth bassFair numbers27.5per hr (electrofishing)5"Typical17"Biggest
Lengths measured · 62 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 62 fish
2024Lengths measured · 1 fish
2019Only 1 fish measured that year — too few to read as a shape.
Lengths measured · 15 fish
2012Lengths measured · 38 fish
2002Northern pikeGood numbers12.5per gill net19"Typical35"Biggest
Lengths measured · 84 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 84 fish
2024Lengths measured · 48 fish
2019Lengths measured · 84 fish
2012Lengths measured · 109 fish
2002BluegillJust a few21.3per trap net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 288 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 288 fish
2024Lengths measured · 32 fish
2019Lengths measured · 433 fish
2012Lengths measured · 452 fish
2002CrappieJust a few0.1per trap net7"Typical9"Biggest
Lengths measured · 69 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 69 fish
2024Lengths measured · 45 fish
2019Lengths measured · 54 fish
2012Lengths measured · 44 fish
2002Yellow perchFair numbers1.8per gill net5"Typical7"Biggest
Lengths measured · 11 fish
Recent · 2024Lengths measured · 11 fish
2024Lengths measured · 10 fish
2019Lengths measured · 50 fish
2012Lengths measured · 20 fish
2002Rates 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 Vanduse Lake through the year
Northern pike
- Spring
- Pike are in the shallow bays and along new weed growth. At 13.5 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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 79% 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.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn. At 13.5 ft of clarity, fish them deeper and lighter than usual.
- 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 79% 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.
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 | Northern pike | Largemouth bass | Walleye |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 35" | 17" | — |
| 2019 | 29" | 16" | — |
| 2012 | 32" | 15" | — |
| 2002 | 36" | 15" | — |
| 1997 | 30" | 16" | — |
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:
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
Free Rig
Creature bait or magnum finesse worm
Walleye · Trolling
Snap Weights + Stickbaits
4–5" suspending or slow-floating stickbait
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 | 189,000 fry |
| 2024 | Walleye | 189,000 fry |
| 2023 | Walleye | 189,000 fry |
| 2022 | Walleye | 189,000 fry |
| 2021 | Walleye | 189,000 fry |
| 2019 | Walleye | 189,000 fry |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 2024 survey
Vanduse Lake is 230 acres (189 Littoral acres) with a maximum depth of 27 feet. Vanduse is located about 2 miles south of Jacobson in northeastern Aitkin County. There is a public access with a gravel ramp on the west side of the lake.
A standard survey (12 trap nets and 6 gill nets) was conducted on Vanduse Lake during the week of 6/10/2024 to assess the fishery. During the 2024 survey the water was clear-green in color, with moderate clarity, measured at 14 feet during the time of this survey. Dissolved oxygen was near zero parts per million (ppm) below 19 feet during the survey period. Vanduse is managed primarily for Bluegill and Walleye, with Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass and Black Crappie as secondary species.
Read the full DNR narrative
Bluegill were sampled with trap nets at a typical rate compared to lakes with similar habitat (21.3 per net). Bluegill ranged in size from 3.4 to 9.3 inches, averaging 6.8 inches. The population had a good length distribution with approximately 38 percent of fish 8.0 inches or greater and vastly improved since previous surveys in 2019 (3 percent) and 2012 (less than 1 percent). Overall, the Bluegill trap net catch met the management goal of a catch rate less than 40 per net with 20 percent of fish 8.0 inches or greater.
Walleye fry have been stocked in Vanduse Lake annually since 2019, except for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of establishing a Walleye population in Vanduse Lake has not been met, as no Walleye were sampled in the 2024 survey. The absence of Walleye is likely due to high abundances of Northern Pike and Black Crappie. Walleye fry will be stocked again in 2025, and a targeted survey for Walleye is planned for 2026. The Walleye stocking regime will be re-evaluated based on results of the targeted survey.
The Northern Pike gill net catch rate (12.5 per net) was similar to previous surveys dating back to the 1980's, which have consistently been high compared to similar lakes, and did not meet the management goal of less than 10 fish per net. Vanduse Lake Northern Pike averaged 19.9 inches and ranged from 15.0 to 35.6 inches. The size structure did not improve from the previous survey, as the percentage of fish greater than 24 inches decreased from 26 percent in 2012, to 9 percent in this survey. These results did not satisfy the goal established in the management plan of 15 percent of Northern Pike greater than 24 inches.
Largemouth Bass are not sampled well with standard survey nets, so their populations are often evaluated using boat electrofishing. Day time electrofishing was conducted on 5/28/2024 and yielded a catch rate of 27.5 per hour. Bass ranged in length from 1.9 inches to 15.6 inches, and averaged 7.0 inches. Only 4 Largemouth Bass were captured in gill nets and 3 were captured in trap nets. The largest Bass was captured in a trap net and measured 17.4 inches.
Black Crappie were sampled with gill nets (11.3 per net), above the typical rate for similar lakes and above the lake's long-term average (4 per net). Black Crappie ranged in length from 4.4 to 9.9 inches, averaging 7.2 inches. A high abundance of Black Crappies in Vanduse Lake has likely resulted in their poor size structure, due to competition and limited resources such as food and space. Vanduse Crappie had slow growth with an average of 6.7 inches at age 4, below the county and state average.
Other fish species sampled were Brown Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead, Black Bullhead, Pumpkinseed, Hybrid Sunfish, Rock Bass, Yellow Perch, and White Sucker.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Vanduse Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Vanduse 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
- Vanduse Lake (trailer launch)
DNR bathymetry
Vanduse Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Hay Lake · 129 ac · 2 mi
- Little Ball Bluff Lake · 37 ac · 3 mi
- Blackface Lake · 192 ac · 3.2 mi
- Ball Bluff Lake · 169 ac · 3.5 mi
- Boot Lake · 80 ac · 8.1 mi
- Wakefield Lake · 164 ac · 8.9 mi
- Savanna Lake · 101 ac · 9.3 mi
- Wolf Lake · 173 ac · 9.4 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Vanduse Lake?
Vanduse Lake reaches 27 ft at its deepest point with a mean depth of 8.2 ft; about 79% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Vanduse Lake?
Vanduse Lake covers 240 acres with about 5.7 miles of shoreline.
How clear is the water in Vanduse Lake?
DNR Secchi readings on Vanduse Lake average 13.5 ft of visibility, clear water for a Minnesota lake.
What fish are in Vanduse Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2024) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Vanduse Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2025; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2019.
Does Vanduse Lake have a public access?
Yes. Vanduse Lake has one public access site: Vanduse Lake (trailer launch).
How big do northern pike get in Vanduse Lake?
The biggest northern pike measured in recent DNR surveys taped 35"; the size-history table on this page tracks the biggest fish in each survey back to 1997.
When was Vanduse Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Vanduse Lake in 2024, the most recent of 8 surveys on record.
Page updated .
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