Lake Minnewawa fishing: Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Walleye

Target species: Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Bigmouth Buffalo, Burbot, Black Bullhead, White Sucker
Boat: 3 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Minnewawa Lake (SE) Public Water Access Site, 2 lanes.

The lake

Lake Minnewawa covers 2,303 acres in Minnesota, across Aitkin County. It is a lake: 92.6% of it is 15 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 20 feet (6.1 m). Our records hold 14 species for this water.

7 target fish, led by Northern Pike

  • Northern Pike — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Largemouth Bass — Feeding water: 65–85°F.
  • Walleye — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Bigmouth Buffalo — Feeding water: 70–80°F.
  • Burbot — Feeding water: 40–50°F.
  • Black Bullhead — Feeding water: 70–80°F.
  • White Sucker — Feeding water: 50–70°F.

Also recorded here: Black Crappie, Bluegill, Yellow Perch, Pumpkinseed, Bowfin, Brown Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead.

An ATV and an ice fishing house on Lake Minnewawa in McGregor, Minnesota
Lorie Shaull · CC BY 2.0

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 20 ft (6.1 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 92.6% of the water is 15 feet or shallower. We hold 117 depth contour lines for this water.

  • 0–1 ft: 14.8% of the water
  • 1–3 ft: 8.2% of the water
  • 3–5 ft: 9.5% of the water
  • 5–6 ft: 5.6% of the water
  • 6–7 ft: 5.4% of the water
  • 7–8 ft: 5.3% of the water
  • 8–9 ft: 5.9% of the water
  • 9–10 ft: 6.9% of the water
  • 10–11 ft: 9% of the water
  • 11–12 ft: 5.5% of the water
  • 12–13 ft: 5.1% of the water
  • 13–14 ft: 5.3% of the water
  • 14–15 ft: 6.1% of the water
  • 15–17 ft: 5.1% of the water
  • 17–19 ft: 1.8% of the water
  • 19–20 ft: 0.5% of the water

3 ramps and launches on this water

On this water we hold 3 trailer ramps.

A snow mobile and an ice fishing house on Lake Minnewawa in McGregor, Minnesota
Lorie Shaull · CC BY 2.0
  • Minnewawa Lake (SE) Public Water Access Site — 2 lanes, restrooms. DNR Division of Parks and Trails.
  • Minnewawa Lake (E) Public Water Access Site — 1 lane. DNR Division of Parks and Trails.
  • Minnewawa Lake (W) Public Water Access Site — 1 lane. Shamrock Township.

Fee and opening hours are blank for all 3 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 5–7.9 feet on our readings, averaging 6.4 feet, from 92 readings. Our water temperature readings average 71°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. pH averages 7.8. These readings span 2016–2025.

What is hard here

With 92.6% of the water 15 feet or less, low level turns the flats into hazards.

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.