Minnesota · Beltrami County
Windigo Lake Fishing guide
Windigo Lake covers 195 acres in Beltrami County, Minnesota, reaching 25 ft at its deepest point. The Minnesota DNR has surveyed the lake 1 time, most recently in 1984, with walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike in the nets. That survey is 42 years old now.
DNR survey data
Fish species
The DNR last surveyed Windigo Lake in 1984. Ratings need a survey from the last 20 years, so this page lists the species from that older record without numbers.
- Walleye
- Largemouth bass
- Smallmouth bass
- Northern pike
- Bluegill
- Crappie
- Yellow perch
- Rock bass
How to fish Windigo 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. With 66% of this lake 15 ft or shallower, the weed edge is the main event.
- 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. With 66% 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.
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 · Soft plastics
Texas-Rigged Worm
7" ribbon-tail or straight-tail plastic worm
Largemouth bass · Soft plastics
Wacky-Rigged Stickworm
5" stickworm
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Ned Rig
2.75" finesse stickbait or craw-style Ned bait
Smallmouth bass · Soft plastics
Drop Shot (Finesse Plastic)
4" finesse worm or 3" minnow-profile plastic
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 1984 survey
bluegill, pumpkinseed, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, rock bass, northern pike and brown bullhead are above state & local medians for net catches. Yellow perch, walleye and black crappie are below local medians. Panfish appear to be stunted.
Narrative text from the Minnesota DNR lake survey.
Recent reports
Windigo Lake fishing reports
Recent reports on Windigo 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
- US Forest Service access: USFS. PORTAGE ACCESS AT NORTH END OF LAKE FROM CASS LAKE.
DNR bathymetry
Windigo Lake depth map
Within 30 miles
Nearby lakes
- Cass Lake · 15,958 ac · 0.4 mi
- Buck Lake · 360 ac · 3.3 mi
- Pike Bay Lake · 4,756 ac · 4 mi
- Andrusia Lake · 1,596 ac · 4.9 mi
- Little Wolf Lake · 525 ac · 5 mi
- Kitchi Lake · 1,865 ac · 5.6 mi
- Wolf Lake · 1,076 ac · 5.9 mi
- Little Rice Lake · 123 ac · 6.2 mi
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
How deep is Windigo Lake?
Windigo Lake reaches 25 ft at its deepest point; about 66% of the lake is littoral (15 ft or shallower).
How big is Windigo Lake?
Windigo Lake covers 195 acres with about 2.3 miles of shoreline.
What fish are in Windigo Lake?
Minnesota DNR surveys (most recently 1984) record walleye, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, northern pike, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass.
Is Windigo Lake stocked?
No stocking is on record for Windigo Lake in the DNR's stocking database.
Does Windigo Lake have a public access?
Yes. Windigo Lake has one public access site: US Forest Service access (USFS. PORTAGE ACCESS AT NORTH END OF LAKE FROM CASS LAKE.).
When was Windigo Lake last surveyed?
The Minnesota DNR last surveyed Windigo Lake in 1984. 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 Windigo Lake, plus a trip plan you can share:
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