Lake Bemidji fishing: Northern Pike, Walleye, Muskellunge

Target species: Northern Pike, Walleye, Muskellunge, Largemouth Bass, Burbot, Yellow Perch, Shorthead Redhorse
Boat: 6 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Lake Bemidji, Cameron Park Public Water Access Site, 2 lanes.

The lake

Lake Bemidji covers 6,576 acres in Minnesota, across Beltrami County. It is a lake: 90.1% of it is 60 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 70 feet (21.3 m). Our records hold 14 species for this water.

Lake Bemidji DSC 0211 (641346227).jpg
Pete Markham from Loretto, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 70 ft (21.3 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 90.1% of the water is 60 feet or shallower. We hold 68 depth contour lines for this water.

Sunset on Lake Bemidji from BSU campus.jpg
Amik2019 · CC BY-SA 4.0
  • 0–5 ft: 14.9% of the water
  • 5–10 ft: 7% of the water
  • 10–15 ft: 4.9% of the water
  • 15–20 ft: 4.8% of the water
  • 20–25 ft: 5.2% of the water
  • 25–30 ft: 5.8% of the water
  • 30–35 ft: 6.8% of the water
  • 35–40 ft: 7.6% of the water
  • 40–45 ft: 6.9% of the water
  • 45–50 ft: 9.7% of the water
  • 50–55 ft: 9.2% of the water
  • 55–60 ft: 7.3% of the water
  • 60–65 ft: 4.6% of the water
  • 65–70 ft: 5.3% of the water

7 target fish, led by Northern Pike

  • Northern Pike — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Walleye — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Muskellunge — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
  • Largemouth Bass — Feeding water: 65–85°F.
  • Burbot — Feeding water: 40–50°F.
  • Yellow Perch — Feeding water: 45–75°F.
  • Shorthead Redhorse — Feeding water: 60–75°F.

Also recorded here: White Sucker, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Cisco, Rock Bass, Bowfin, Yellow Bullhead.

Lake Bemidji Minnesota.jpg
Lightinacube · CC BY-SA 3.0

6 ramps and launches on this water

On this water we hold 6 trailer ramps and 1 shore access point.

  • Lake Bemidji, Cameron Park Public Water Access Site — 2 lanes, restrooms.
  • Lake Bemidji, Northwoods Public Water Access Site — 2 lanes, restrooms. DNR Division of Parks and Trails.
  • Lake Bemidji, Nymore Beach Public Water Access Site — 2 lanes, restrooms.
  • Lake Bemidji, Diamond Point Public Water Access Site — 1 lane, restrooms.
  • Lake Bemidji, Lake Bemidji SPK Public Water Access Site — 1 lane, restrooms. DNR Division of Parks and Trails.
  • Lake Bemidji, Lavinia Public Water Access Site — 1 lane. Northern Township.

Shore access for bank fishing

  • Lake Bemidji, Paul Bunyan Park Public Water Access Site — 1 lane.

Fee and opening hours are blank for all 7 places in this list: a blank means we hold no such field, not that it is free or always open, and this list may not be complete.

Water and conditions

Water clarity runs 5.9–16.9 feet on our readings, averaging 11.6 feet, from 43 readings. Our water temperature readings average 65°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. The coldest single reading we hold is 37°F and the warmest is 79°F; the warmest monthly average is 75°F. These readings span 2017–2025.

What is hard here

Wind is the limit, not the fish: 6,576 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle.

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.