MN (Carver, Hennepin)

Lake Minnetonka

WATER CLARITY: 5/10

What you need to know about fishing Lake Minnetonka

Lake Minnetonka is a popular fishing destination year round due to its close proximity to the Minneapolis area and great fish stocks. Lake Minnetonka is currently the 9th largest lake in Minnesota with a surface area of 14,528 acres and a max depth of 113 feet in Crystal Bay. This lake is the perfect destination for largemouth bass. The predominant methods are flipping jigs beneath docks, casting topwaters in and around lily pads and working the edges of weedlines with spinners or crankbaits. Buzzbaits also work great for largemouth bass. Walleyes are another prized game fish on Lake Minnetonka. Lindy rigs, jigs with a swimbait or minnow and deep running crankbaits are the perfect pick when targeting these walleye. Minnetonka walleyes can be found on deep water rock structures and mid lake humps. Looking for bait balls can increase your chances of success. If you're looking for large, hard fighting northern and muskie, Minnetonka is a great destination. Using Bucktails and topwater lures by sunken trees and beaver dams is the go-to for pulling these fish into the boat.

Once the water freezes, Lake Minnetonka quickly comes one of the Twin Cities/metro areas hot beds for ice fishing. Being only 20 minutes from downtown Minneapolis, Lake Minnetonka is the largest lake and offers the most opportunity to ice fish. There are access points all over the lake. The most popular way to ice fish is to set up over basin areas in 18-25 feet of water and catch as many bluegills and crappies as you can handle. Fish will normally bite throughout the morning, day, and night. To add some excitement to the mix, anglers can set up tip ups in search of pike or walleye cruising the weedlines that surround the basin. Anglers who are up for a challenge attempt to target Lake Minnetonka’s growing walleye population. The fish are finicky and tough to find, but extremely rewarding. These walleyes are often caught on deep rocks that have weeds and sand mix in.

Waterbody Type

Lake/Pond

Species Present

Walleye, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Muskie, Crappie, Panfish / Bluegill, Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, Common Carp

Coordinates

-93.5519W
44.9291N

Surface Area

55.73 sq. km

Avg. Depth

14 ft.

Gear
Fishing Reports (37)
Ambassadors (17)
Nearby Lakes

Relevant Gear for Lake Minnetonka Pre-Spawn Largemouth Bass Fishing

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Pre-Spawn Largemouth Bass Fishing Reports

Reported by Robert Cronen
Fish 6 to 8 feet on weed flats.
Season: Pre-Spawn
Structure: Submerged Vegetation
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Drop Shots
Reported by Omnia Community
Bass were pushed up in grass adjacent to rocks. Best bite is early morning or before sundown. Throw Chatterbaits and Texas rigs into the grass and rip and drag them... Read More
Season: Pre-Spawn
Structure: Submerged Vegetation
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Chatterbaits
⚡6 Product Recommendations
Reported by Sportsmens Bassmaster
We were able to pickup a lot of fish in and around cuts, coves and boat channels. Finding the warmer water was key. A chatterbait did most of... Read More
Season: Pre-Spawn
Structure: Submerged Vegetation
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Chatterbaits
⚡3 Product Recommendations
Reported by Jason Dudek
Bass are starting to come shallow and position themselves in and around the newly forming lily pads. Senkos tossed to the lily pads and lily pad logs are key.
Season: Pre-Spawn
Structure: Lilipads
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Wacky Rigs
Reported by Sportsmens Bassmaster
Finding the warm water in mid May when the temp is starting to rise is a big factor. A 1/2oz green pumpkin crawtube around the docks in channels and... Read More
Season: Pre-Spawn
Structure: Docks
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip)
⚡1 Product Recommendations
Reported by Bradley Leuthner
What a wonderful time of year to bass fish. Ever bass in the lake is in less than 8 feet of water. I like to use outkast swim jig and... Read More
Season: Pre-Spawn
Structure: Submerged Vegetation
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Blade Baits
⚡7 Product Recommendations

Other Species Fishing Reports for Pre-Spawn

Reported by Josh S
Find shallow bays, where the water warms up after first ice off, focus on the north east corners of the bays where the water will warm faster. Or find... Read More
Season: Pre-Spawn
Structure: Reeds
Species: Crappie
Technique: Texas Rigs (Worming)
⚡1 Product Recommendations
Reported by Matt Waldron
The larger crappies have been moving shallow! We have had our best success in the 2-6ft weed clumps on the outside of spawning bays/cuts. Slow reeling a bobber... Read More
Season: Pre-Spawn
Structure: Submerged Vegetation
Species: Crappie
Technique: Shallow Diving Crankbaits (0-6')
Reported by Jon Krumsieg
Season: Pre-Spawn
Structure: Docks
Species: Crappie
Technique: Bobbers
⚡3 Product Recommendations
Reported by Jason Dudek
Shallow dark bottom bays are producing a lot of crappie around laydowns.
Season: Pre-Spawn
Structure: Laydowns
Species: Crappie
Technique: Texas Rigs (Worming)
⚡5 Product Recommendations

Other Season Fishing Reports

Reported by Omnia Fishing
Season: Spawn
Structure: Docks
Species: Walleye
Technique: Bobbers
Reported by Ryan Thompson
Bass catches have been excellent since the opener. The KBF Challenge for May has some absolute roads on the board. Your search for fish should be up on shallow points... Read More
Season: Spawn
Structure: Points
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Shallow Diving Crankbaits (0-6')
⚡4 Product Recommendations
Reported by Harrison Dau
They are sitting in the weeds on the flats and all the way out to the break.
Season: Post-Spawn
Structure: Submerged Vegetation
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Jerk Baits
Reported by Josh Johnson
Flipped docks and rock piles
Season: Post-Spawn
Structure: Docks
Species: Smallmouth Bass
Technique: Soft Body Swimbaits (Small/Medium)
Cage Feider Jig Money Craw / 3/8 oz
outkast_tackle
Reported by Bradley Leuthner
The bass have made it out. They are hanging out in 12 feet plus. Look for hard bottoms and clumps of coontail. My go to is a outkast chicken. If... Read More
Season: Summer
Structure: Boulders
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Lipless Crankbaits
⚡3 Product Recommendations
Reported by Chad Keller
Jig worm and Texas rigs on the 8-12' edges and right in the weeds was producing good numbers and a few good sized fish as well. Found a couple schools... Read More
Season: Summer
Structure: Submerged Vegetation
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip)
⚡2 Product Recommendations
Reported by Jason Dudek
With the popularity of the drop shot, Ned rig and jig worm the Carolina Rig has seen a steady decline and now is a great time to use it. The... Read More
Season: Summer
Structure: Submerged Vegetation
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Carolina Rigs
⚡5 Product Recommendations
Reported by Jason Dudek
Sunfish are grouped up on the deep rock and grass points and the bass are hanging around them. Ned Rigs, drop shot and jig worms and producing. A 3/32 oz.... Read More
Season: Summer
Structure: Baitfish
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Ned Rigs
⚡6 Product Recommendations
Reported by Kent Mittelstaedt
Once the largemouth have finished spawning and have moved out of the shallows out to the weedlines, they can be caught on ned rigs. The Outkast Tackle perfect ned... Read More
Season: Summer
Structure: Submerged Vegetation
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Ned Rigs
Reported by Jon Krumsieg
Season: Summer
Structure: Matted Grass
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip)
Reported by Erik Gaffron
On days with Cloud Cover targeting deep weed edges with a mid- deep diving Crankbait can be productive in mid to late summer. Bluegill related colors. Match your lure selection... Read More
Season: Summer
Structure: Submerged Vegetation
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Deep Diving Crankbaits (13'+)
Reported by John Figi
Focus in on thicker clumps on main lake points.
Season: Summer
Structure: Submerged Vegetation
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip)
Reported by John Ries
Flippin milfoil is the "meat and potatoes" of Minnetonka largemouth fishing during summer peak. Though this can be needle-in-a-haystack fishing at times, the return is worth the time investment.... Read More
Season: Summer
Structure: Matted Grass
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Medium Diving Crankbaits (7'-12')
Stealth Feider Jig 5/8 oz / Money Craw
outkast_tackle
⚡1 Product Recommendations
Reported by Omnia Fishing
Skipping Jigs on docks has produced the most consistent bite of late. Usually the offshore structure holds large schools this time of year. The constant pressure and lack of offshore... Read More
Season: Summer
Structure: Docks
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Swim Jigs
Divine Swim Jig 1/2 oz / Baby Bream
6th_sense
⚡1 Product Recommendations
Reported by Brad Novak
Fish were congregated towards the end of docks suspended slightly off the bottom. Slowing the presentation down seemed to be the ticket to getting more bites.
Season: Summer
Structure: Docks
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Structure Jigs
Stealth Feider Jig 1/2 oz / Money Craw
outkast_tackle
⚡2 Product Recommendations
Reported by Kent Mittelstaedt
Late summer on Lake Minnetonka can be a great time to find matted vegetation. Find milfoil that has grown up to the surface and created a canopy. Typically... Read More
Season: Summer
Structure: Matted Grass
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Grass Jigs
Reported by Jeff Simison
In the summer fish are heading deeper in the mornings on the edges of the weed lines. Finding fish at 10 to 20 feet. Find the lake contours with... Read More
Season: Summer
Structure: Submerged Vegetation
Species: Largemouth Bass
Forage: Bluegill
Technique: Drop Shots
Xzone 6" MB Fat Finesse Worms 6" / Green Pumpkin June Bug
xzone_lures
⚡4 Product Recommendations
Reported by Steve Pennaz
Trolling 1.2-1.5 MPH at night. Using braid is great for precise bait control and keeping baits clean. New Berkley Hit Stick #11 was dynamite as was #5 Flicker Shad... Read More
Season: Fall
Structure: River Channels
Species: Walleye
Technique: Trolling Shallow (0-9')
Flicker Shad Crankbait 2 3/4" / Firetiger
berkley
Reported by Jesse Welter
Pitching around docks and boat lifts.
Season: Fall
Structure: Docks
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Structure Jigs
Cage Feider Jig Money Craw / 5/8 oz
outkast_tackle
Reported by Jason Dudek
The baitfish are heading into the shallows and chatter baits, spinnerbaits, swim jigs and topwaters are going good with numbers and a few good ones in between.
Season: Fall
Structure: Baitfish
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Shallow Diving Crankbaits (0-6')
Original Chatterbait 3/8 OZ / GREEN PUMPKIN PURPLE
zman
⚡5 Product Recommendations
Reported by Rich Lindgren
As of 2nd week of Sept, largemouth are still in the summer transition and are not really made the big move to their fall patterns & have not quite strapped... Read More
Season: Fall
Structure: Docks
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Chatterbaits
Jack Hammer Chatterbait 3/8 oz / Black/Blue
zman
⚡4 Product Recommendations
Reported by Omnia Community
Early September Still catching fish on docks plastic worms senko still getting some fish. Largmouth have moved to rocks with weeds around it.
Season: Fall
Structure: Docks
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Texas Rigs (Worming)
4" Senko Worm Black / 4"
yamamoto
⚡1 Product Recommendations
Reported by Erik Gaffron
Flipping shallow (less than 5 feet) vegetation with Texas rigged creature baits, tubes, and jigs yields several bites in the fall as water temps dip into the low 60s and... Read More
Season: Fall
Structure: Matted Grass
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Texas Rigs (Pitch/Flip)
4'' Craw Tube Hematoma / 4"
big_bite_baits
⚡7 Product Recommendations
Reported by Matt Ellgen
best when used in the wind
Season: Fall
Structure: Rip Rap
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Deep Diving Crankbaits (13'+)
BX Brat 2" / Pearl Grey Shiner
rapala
Reported by Matthew Voigt
Season: Ice
Structure: Submerged Vegetation
Species: Largemouth Bass
Technique: Vertical Jigging Shallow (0-9')
Reported by John Figi
Fish were concentrated around green weeds.
Season: Ice
Structure: Humps
Species: Panfish / Bluegill
Technique: Ice Fishing Jigs
Reported by John Ries
Jigging for large gills on Minnetonka can be constant action. These fish typically bite in the afternoon through first dark (5:00 PM or so). Finding breaklines anywhere from 12-20... Read More
Season: Ice
Structure: Submerged Vegetation
Species: Panfish / Bluegill
Forage: Insects
Technique: Ice Fishing Jigs
Kenders Tungsten Bright UV Jig 1/32 / Tiger UV
kenders_outdoors