Minnesota · Crow Wing County
Velvet Lake Fishing guide
Velvet Lake covers 167 acres in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, reaching 29 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 1 time, most recently in 1985, with walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill in the nets. That survey is 41 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Velvet Lake in 1985. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Walleye
- Largemouth bass
- Northern pike
- Bluegill
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
- Rock bass
How to fish Velvet 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.
Largemouth bass
- Spring
- Largemouth are moving up into the warming bays and flats, staging around wood, docks and new weeds to spawn.
- 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.
- 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.
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
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Topwater Popper
2.5–3" concave-face popper
Largemouth bass · Hardbaits
Hollow-Body Frog
3–3.5" hollow-body frog
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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Walleye | 500 fingerlings |
| 2017 | Walleye | 250 fingerlings |
MN DNR · in their words
From the 1985 survey
northern pike abundance is low (2.3 gillnet) but a good length frequency distribution exists and the growth rate is good. Yellow bullhead abundance is good with all size classes present. Bluegill abundance is moderate, growth rate slow, the size small and majority of the bluegills belong to the iii, iv or v year class group. Largemouth bass abundance is excellent with all sizes present and they exhibit a slow to good growth rate. Black crappies are present in moderate numbers with growth rate slow and the majority are in the iv year class group. Walleye are present in low to moderate numbers and exhibit a good growth rate.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Velvet Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Velvet 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: None.
DNR bathymetry
Velvet Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- O'Brien Lake · 186 ac · 1 mi
- Greer Lake · 354 ac · 1.6 mi
- Dolney Lake · 272 ac · 2.1 mi
- Goodrich Lake · 382 ac · 2.1 mi
- Adney Lake · 310 ac · 2.6 mi
- Command Lake · 21 ac · 2.9 mi
- Daggett Lake · 258 ac · 3.1 mi
- Little Pine Lake · 330 ac · 3.3 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Velvet Lake?
Velvet Lake reaches 29 ft at its deepest point; about 48% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Velvet Lake?
Velvet Lake covers 167 acres with about 1.9 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Velvet Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1985) record walleye, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Velvet Lake stocked?
Yes. The DNR stocked walleye in 2019; the stocking table on this page lists every year back to 2017.
Does Velvet Lake have a public access?
Yes. Velvet Lake has one public access site: Public access (None.).
When was Velvet Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Velvet Lake in 1985. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
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The live map adds today's conditions and ranked spots for Velvet Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
Open Velvet Lake on the live map → Fished it lately? Write a report