Lake Lida fishing: Northern Pike, Muskellunge, Largemouth Bass

Target species: Northern Pike, Muskellunge, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, Freshwater Drum, Black Bullhead
Boat: 1 ramp or launch on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Lida Lake (N) Public Water Access Site, 1 lane.

The lake

Lake Lida covers 5,434 acres in Minnesota, across Otter Tail County. It is a lake: 92.6% of it is 36 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 40 feet (12.2 m). Our records hold 19 species for this water.

7 target fish, led by Northern Pike

  • Northern Pike — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Muskellunge — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
  • Largemouth Bass — Feeding water: 65–85°F.
  • Walleye — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Smallmouth Bass — Feeding water: 60–75°F.
  • Freshwater Drum — Feeding water: 60–75°F.
  • Black Bullhead — Feeding water: 70–80°F.

Also recorded here: White Sucker, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Cisco, Rock Bass, Yellow Perch, Green Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Bowfin, Brown Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead, Common Carp.

12 Gauge Waterfowl Hunting Shotgun Shells on Lake Lida, Minnesota (37770144101).jpg
Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 40 ft (12.2 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 92.6% of the water is 36 feet or shallower. We hold 143 depth contour lines for this water.

  • 0–2 ft: 9.6% of the water
  • 2–4 ft: 6% of the water
  • 4–6 ft: 5.6% of the water
  • 6–8 ft: 5.7% of the water
  • 8–10 ft: 4.5% of the water
  • 10–12 ft: 4.1% of the water
  • 12–14 ft: 4.2% of the water
  • 14–16 ft: 5.4% of the water
  • 16–18 ft: 4.7% of the water
  • 18–20 ft: 5% of the water
  • 20–22 ft: 5.4% of the water
  • 22–24 ft: 4.3% of the water
  • 24–26 ft: 4.8% of the water
  • 26–28 ft: 5.8% of the water
  • 28–30 ft: 5.9% of the water
  • 30–32 ft: 5.2% of the water
  • 32–34 ft: 3.5% of the water
  • 34–36 ft: 2.9% of the water
  • 36–38 ft: 2.9% of the water
  • 38–40 ft: 4.5% of the water

Water and conditions

Our water temperature readings average 69°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. pH averages 8.9. These readings span 2017–2025.

1 ramp or launch on this water

On this water we hold 1 trailer ramp.

  • Lida Lake (N) Public Water Access Site — 1 lane, restrooms. DNR Division of Parks and Trails.

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.

What is hard here

Wind is the limit, not the fish: 5,434 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle. Only 1 public ramp is on file, so the launch decides where you fish.

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.