Lake Winnibigoshish fishing: Walleye, Muskellunge, Northern Pike

Target species: Walleye, Muskellunge, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Burbot, Black Bullhead, Shorthead Redhorse
Boat: 7 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Lake Winnibigoshish, Birches Public Water Access Site, 2 lanes.

The lake

Lake Winnibigoshish covers 55,768 acres in Minnesota, across 2 counties: Itasca and Cass. It is a lake: 94.4% of it is 40 feet deep or less; the deepest point measured is at least 70 feet (21.3 m). Our records hold 18 species for this water.

Winnibigoshish Lake Dam 2016.jpg
McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0

Depth and bottom

Deepest measured point: at least 70 ft (21.3 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. 94.4% of the water is 40 feet or shallower. We hold 93 depth contour lines for this water.

Ice fishing houses on Lake Winnibigoshish in Deer River, Minnesota
Lorie Shaull · CC BY 2.0
  • 0–5 ft: 10.4% of the water
  • 5–10 ft: 10.2% of the water
  • 10–15 ft: 15.1% of the water
  • 15–20 ft: 19.8% of the water
  • 20–25 ft: 10.7% of the water
  • 25–30 ft: 8.3% of the water
  • 30–35 ft: 10.8% of the water
  • 35–40 ft: 9.1% of the water
  • 40–45 ft: 3.4% of the water
  • 45–50 ft: 1.4% of the water
  • 50–55 ft: 0.6% of the water
  • 55–60 ft: 0.1% of the water
  • 60–65 ft: 0.1% of the water

7 target fish, led by Walleye

  • Walleye — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Muskellunge — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
  • Northern Pike — Feeding water: 50–75°F.
  • Largemouth Bass — Feeding water: 65–85°F.
  • Burbot — Feeding water: 40–50°F.
  • Black Bullhead — Feeding water: 70–80°F.
  • Shorthead Redhorse — Feeding water: 60–75°F.

Also recorded here: Silver Redhorse, White Sucker, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Cisco, Rock Bass, Yellow Perch, Pumpkinseed, Bowfin, Brown Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead.

Ice fishing Houses on Lake Winnibigoshish in Itasca County, Minnesota
Lorie Shaull · CC BY 2.0

Water and conditions

Our water temperature readings average 68°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. The coldest single reading we hold is 47°F and the warmest is 80°F; the warmest monthly average is 73°F. pH averages 8.2. These readings span 2017–2025.

7 ramps and launches on this water

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

  • Lake Winnibigoshish, Birches Public Water Access Site — 2 lanes, restrooms. U.S. Forest Service.
  • Lake Winnibigoshish, Plughat Point Public Water Access Site — 2 lanes, restrooms. U.S. Forest Service. website fs.usda.gov/recarea/chippewa/recarea/?recid=26772 · hours: Open 24 hours/day
  • Lake Winnibigoshish, Richards Townsite Public Water Access Site — 2 lanes, restrooms. U.S. Forest Service. website fs.usda.gov/recarea/chippewa/recarea/?recid=26656 · hours: Open 24 hours/day
  • Lake Winnibigoshish (W) Public Water Access Site — 1 lane. U.S. Forest Service. website fs.usda.gov/recarea/chippewa/recreation/recarea/?recid=26692 · hours: Open 24 hours/day
  • Lake Winnibigoshish, Tamarack Point Public Water Access Site — 1 lane, restrooms. U.S. Forest Service.
  • Mississippi River, Lake Winnibigoshish Rec Area Public Water Access Site — 1 lane, restrooms. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
  • Reeses Landing (Winnie) C36a

Shore access for bank fishing

  • Lake Winnibigoshish, Reese Landing Public Water Access Site — 1 lane. U.S. Forest Service.

Fee and opening hours are blank for all 8 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.

What is hard here

Wind is the limit, not the fish: 55,768 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.