Bde Maka Ska fishing: Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Muskellunge

Target species: Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Muskellunge, Walleye, Bluegill, Pumpkinseed, Black Crappie
Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep for Largemouth Bass
Second window: May, Jun, Sep, Oct for Northern Pike
Boat: 1 ramp or launch on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Bde Maka Ska Public Water Access Site, 1 lane.

The lake

Bde Maka Ska covers 420 acres in Minnesota, across Hennepin County. It is a lake: 91% of it is 65 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 90 feet (27.4 m). Our records hold 14 species for this water.

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 90 ft (27.4 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 91% of the water is 65 feet or shallower. We hold 21 depth contour lines for this water.

Aerial view of Bde Maka Ska 2017-06-02.png
August Schwerdfeger · CC BY 4.0
  • 0–5 ft: 6% of the water
  • 5–10 ft: 8.5% of the water
  • 10–15 ft: 8.9% of the water
  • 15–20 ft: 8.9% of the water
  • 20–25 ft: 8% of the water
  • 25–30 ft: 7.9% of the water
  • 30–35 ft: 9% of the water
  • 35–40 ft: 10.2% of the water
  • 40–45 ft: 6.1% of the water
  • 45–50 ft: 4.6% of the water
  • 50–55 ft: 4.2% of the water
  • 55–60 ft: 4.1% of the water
  • 60–65 ft: 4.6% of the water
  • 65–70 ft: 5.4% of the water
  • 70–75 ft: 3.2% of the water
  • 75–80 ft: 0.5% of the water

7 target fish, led by Largemouth Bass

  • Largemouth Bass — Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
  • Northern Pike — Best months: May, Jun, Sep, Oct.
  • Muskellunge — Best months: Jun, Sep.
  • Walleye — Best months: May, Jun, Sep, Oct.
  • Bluegill — Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug.
  • Pumpkinseed — Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
  • Black Crappie — Best months: Jun, Sep.

Also recorded here: Yellow Perch, Green Sunfish, Bowfin, Brown Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead, Common Carp, Goldfish.

Water and conditions

Water clarity runs 6.6–18 feet on our readings, averaging 11.5 feet, from 181 readings. Water temperature averages 64°F across the year. The coldest single reading we hold is 32°F and the warmest is 82°F; the warmest monthly average is 77°F. pH averages 8.4. These readings span 2016–2025.

Bde Maka Ska Boats at Sunset - Minneapolis, Minnesota (41036255482).jpg
Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States · CC BY 2.0

1 ramp or launch on this water

On this water we hold 1 trailer ramp.

  • Bde Maka Ska Public Water Access Site — 1 lane, restrooms.

The place listed has no fee or opening hours on file: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.

Bde Maka Ska.jpg
Tyler Vigen · CC BY-SA 4.0

What is hard here

Only 1 public ramp is on file, so the launch decides where you fish. Winter water drops to 33°F, and the warm-water species stop feeding well before you do.

Where this data comes from

  • Minnesota DNR — Minnesota DNR: depth contours: class A, a survey of the bottom.
  • Minnesota DNR — Minnesota DNR: reported depths: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.
  • Webster, K.E., McCullough, I.M., Soranno, P.A. LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0, EDI, doi:10.6073/pasta/64ddc4d04661d9aef4bd702dc5d8984f (CC BY 4.0); Cheruvelil et al. LAGOS-US LOCUS v1.0 (EDI) — LAGOS-US DEPTH v1.0: Lake depth for 17,675 lakes in the conterminous U.S.: class B, a depth figure measured and published by an agency, without a bottom map.