Lake Minnetonka fishing: Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Muskellunge

Target species: Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Muskellunge, Walleye, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Black Crappie
Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep for Largemouth Bass
Second window: May, Jun, Sep, Oct for Northern Pike
Boat: 18 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Lake Minnetonka, Grays Bay Public Water Access Site, 3 lanes.

The lake

Lake Minnetonka covers 13,526 acres in Minnesota, across Hennepin County. It is a lake: 91.8% of it is 50 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 100 feet (30.5 m). Our records hold 18 species for this water.

Lake Minnetonka aerial.jpg
edkohler · CC BY 2.0

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 100 ft (30.5 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 91.8% of the water is 50 feet or shallower. We hold 408 depth contour lines for this water.

Lake Minnetonka - Aerial photo.jpg
Tyler Vigen · CC BY-SA 4.0
  • 0–5 ft: 15.1% of the water
  • 5–10 ft: 13% of the water
  • 10–15 ft: 12.7% of the water
  • 15–20 ft: 11.1% of the water
  • 20–25 ft: 10.4% of the water
  • 25–30 ft: 9% of the water
  • 30–35 ft: 7.5% of the water
  • 35–40 ft: 6.2% of the water
  • 40–45 ft: 4.1% of the water
  • 45–50 ft: 2.7% of the water
  • 50–55 ft: 2.1% of the water
  • 55–60 ft: 1.7% of the water
  • 60–65 ft: 1.6% of the water
  • 65–70 ft: 1.5% of the water
  • 70–75 ft: 0.6% of the water
  • 75–80 ft: 0.5% of the water
  • 80–85 ft: 0.3% of the water
  • 85–90 ft: 0.1% 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.
  • Smallmouth Bass — Best months: May, Jun, Sep.
  • Bluegill — Best months: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
  • Black Crappie — Best months: Jun, Sep.

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

Lake Minnetonka Homes and Docks - Excelsior - Minnesota.jpg
Tony Webster · CC BY 2.0

18 ramps and launches on this water

On this water we hold 9 trailer ramps, 9 boat ramps and 2 shore access points.

  • Lake Minnetonka, Carson Bay Public Water Access Site — 2 lanes, restrooms. Excelsior. 19800 Minnetonka Boulevard, Excelsior 55331
  • Carson's Bay Facility — Excelsior, Minnetonka Yacht Club. 19800 Minnetonka Boulevard, Excelsior 55331
  • Lake Minnetonka, Grays Bay Public Water Access Site — 3 lanes, restrooms. website minnetonkamn.gov/our-city/recreation-facilities-and-amenities/gray-s-bay-marina
  • Lake Minnetonka, Maxwell Bay Public Water Access Site — 3 lanes, restrooms. DNR Division of Parks and Trails. website dnr.state.mn.us/water_access/site.html?id=WAS01244
  • Lake Minnetonka, Spring Park Bay Public Water Access Site — 3 lanes, restrooms. Hennepin County.
  • Lake Minnetonka, North Arm Public Water Access Site — 2 lanes, restrooms.
  • Lake Minnetonka, Regional Park Public Water Access Site — 2 lanes, restrooms. Three Rivers Park District.
  • Lake Minnetonka, Halsted Bay Public Water Access Site — 1 lane.
  • Lake Minnetonka, Mounds Bay Park Public Water Access Site — 1 lane, restrooms.
  • Lake Minnetonka, Phelp's Public Water Access Site — 1 lane.

Shore access for bank fishing

  • Lake Minnetonka, Grays Bay Dam Public Water Access Site — 1 lane, restrooms.
  • Lake Minnetonka, King's Point Public Water Access Site — 1 lane.

Fee and opening hours are blank for all 12 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 3–19 feet on our readings, averaging 11.4 feet, from 1,381 readings. Our water temperature readings average 72°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. pH averages 8.4. These readings span 2016–2025.

What is hard here

Wind is the limit, not the fish: 13,526 acres of open water build a short steep chop, and there is no shelter in the middle. Clarity swings from 3 to 19 feet between our readings — the water you meet is not the water someone photographed.

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.