Minnesota · Ramsey County
West Vadnais Lake Fishing guide
West Vadnais Lake covers 212 acres in Ramsey County, Minnesota, reaching 9 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 3 times, most recently in 2001, with northern pike, bluegill, crappie and yellow perch in the nets. That survey is 25 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed West Vadnais Lake in 2001. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Northern pike
- Bluegill
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
How to fish West Vadnais Lake through the year
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 9-ft bowl cools fast, so the fall window comes early here.
Bluegill
- Spring
- Bluegill are on the beds in firm-bottomed shallows, in colonies of dozens. On a clear lake those colonies sit deeper than you expect.
- Early summer
- Bluegill are off the beds and onto the weed edges and brush, the biggest ones pulling out first.
- Summer
- Bluegill are on the deep weedline of a stratified lake, sliding out as the surface starts back down. With 100% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- Fall
- Bluegill are back up onto the flats and into the last green weeds, feeding hard while the shallows still hold heat. A 9-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.
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 · Jigs & bladed
Spinnerbait
3/8–1/2 oz safety-pin spinnerbait with tandem willow-leaf blades
Bluegill · Soft plastics
Tungsten Jig + Micro Plastic
1–1.5" micro plastic
Bluegill · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner jighead
Crappie · Jigs & bladed
Beetle Spin
1.5–2" curly-tail grub trailer on a small in-line spinner jighead
Crappie · Soft plastics
Curly-Tail Grub on Jig
3" curly-tail grub threaded on a round jighead
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 2001 survey
West Vadnais Lake has been dominated by black bullheads since the survey of 1986. Prior to that brown bullheads were the most commonly caught specie. The fish population of West Vadnais apparently suffers complete or partial winterkill on nearly an annual basis. Game fish sampled were one 19" northern pike, several bluegill averaging 5-6" in length, and three 7" black crappies. Other species represented were; black bullhead, brown bullhead, hybrid sunfish, pumpkinseed sunfish, green sunfish, golden shiner, and carp.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
West Vadnais Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on West Vadnais 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.
DNR bathymetry
West Vadnais Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- East Vadnais Lake · 393 ac · 0.6 mi
- Wabasso Lake · 43 ac · 0.9 mi
- Emily Lake · 13 ac · 1.6 mi
- Island Lake · 59 ac · 1.6 mi
- Owasso Lake · 375 ac · 1.8 mi
- Snail Lake · 158 ac · 1.8 mi
- Gervais Mill Pond · 6 ac · 2.4 mi
- Josephine Lake · 116 ac · 2.8 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is West Vadnais Lake?
West Vadnais Lake reaches 9 ft at its deepest point; about 100% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is West Vadnais Lake?
West Vadnais Lake covers 212 acres with about 2.6 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in West Vadnais Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 2001) record northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch.
Is West Vadnais Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for West Vadnais Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
When was West Vadnais Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed West Vadnais Lake in 2001, the most recent of 3 surveys on record. That is more than 20 years ago, so this page lists species without ratings.
Page updated .
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