Leech Lake fishing: Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Walleye
Target species: Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, Muskellunge, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Burbot
Boat: 11 ramps and launches on file for this water.
Start here: Launch at Leech Lake River, Federal Dam Public Water Access Site, 2 lanes.
The lake
Leech Lake covers 103,194 acres in Minnesota, across Cass County. It is a lake: the deepest point measured is at least 135 feet (41.1 m). Our records hold 19 species for this water.
Depth and bottom
Deepest measured point: at least 135 ft (41.1 m). That is the deepest contour line: the bottom goes deeper. We hold 92 depth contour lines 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.
- Muskellunge — Feeding water: 65–75°F.
- Smallmouth Bass — Feeding water: 60–75°F.
- Yellow Perch — Feeding water: 45–75°F.
- Burbot — Feeding water: 40–50°F.
Also recorded here: Bluegill, Rock Bass, Black Crappie, Pumpkinseed, Lake Whitefish, Black Bullhead, White Sucker, Cisco, Bowfin, Brown Bullhead, Yellow Bullhead, Common Carp.
11 ramps and launches on this water
On this water we hold 10 trailer ramps, 1 boat ramp and 1 shore access point.
- Leech Lake River, Federal Dam Public Water Access Site — 2 lanes, restrooms. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
- Leech Lake River, Hwy 8 Public Water Access Site — 2 lanes, restrooms. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
- Leech Lake, Battle Point Public Water Access Site — 2 lanes, restrooms. DNR Division of Parks and Trails.
- Leech Lake, Erickson's Landing Public Water Access Site — 2 lanes, restrooms. DNR Division of Parks and Trails.
- Leech Lake, Stony Point Public Water Access Site — 2 lanes, restrooms. U.S. Forest Service.
- Leech Lake, Sucker Bay Public Water Access Site — 2 lanes, restrooms. DNR Division of Parks and Trails.
- Leech Lake, Walker City Park Public Water Access Site — 2 lanes, restrooms.
- Leech Lake, Brevik Public Water Access Site — 1 lane. DNR Division of Parks and Trails.
- Leech Lake, Shingobee Island Public Water Access Site — 1 lane, restrooms. DNR Division of Parks and Trails.
- Leech Lake, Whipholt Wayside Public Water Access Site — 1 lane. MNDOT.
Shore access for bank fishing
- Leech Lake, Two Points Public Water Access Site — DNR Division of Parks and Trails.
Fee and opening hours are blank for all 11 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 6.6–16.7 feet on our readings, averaging 11.7 feet, from 648 readings. Our water temperature readings average 71°F; they do not cover the whole year, so this is not a yearly average. The coldest single reading we hold is 45°F and the warmest is 85°F; the warmest monthly average is 75°F. pH averages 8.3. These readings span 2016–2025.
What is hard here
Wind is the limit, not the fish: 103,194 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.
