Lake Minnetonka is a lake in Minnesota, near Hennepin County.
Lake Minnetonka is a lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Lake Minnetonka covers about 14,206 acres, reaches a recorded 102 feet and holds about 321,458 acre-feet.
Lake Minnetonka is made of connected bays and larger open sections that do not all have the same depth, bottom or water clarity. A bass pattern in a weedy bay may not tell anglers much about walleye or muskellunge in a deeper part of the lake.
The reported fish at Lake Minnetonka include muskellunge, walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and black crappie. That mix gives anglers more than one sensible way to fish Lake Minnetonka.
Fish reported from Lake Minnetonka include banded killifish, black bullhead, black crappie, blackchin shiner, blacknose shiner, bluegill, bluntnose minnow, bowfin, brook silverside, brook stickleback, brown bullhead, central mudminnow, common carp, common shiner, fantail darter, fathead minnow, golden shiner, green sunfish, iowa darter, johnny darter, largemouth bass, least darter, muskellunge, northern pike, pugnose shiner, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, spotfin shiner, spottail shiner, tadpole madtom, walleye, white crappie, white sucker, yellow bullhead, and yellow perch.
For bass at Lake Minnetonka, fish weeds, wood and shade with a spinnerbait, jig or Texas-rigged worm for largemouth, and work a tube, Ned rig or small crankbait across rock and firm points for smallmouth.
For panfish at Lake Minnetonka, use a small jig or minnow beside brush for crappie, and fish a worm, cricket or tiny jig near weeds for bluegill, pumpkinseed, and green sunfish, and keep a small jig, minnow or worm close to bottom for yellow perch.
For roaming fish at Lake Minnetonka, jig a minnow or troll a crankbait along points and deeper edges for walleye.
For large predators at Lake Minnetonka, throw a bucktail, jerkbait or large rubber lure along points and weed edges for muskellunge, and cast a spoon, spinnerbait or swimbait beside weeds for northern pike.
For bottom fishing at Lake Minnetonka, fish a worm or small piece of cut bait in quiet water for bullheads, and use corn or dough bait on a simple bottom rig for carp.
Other choices at Lake Minnetonka include these plans: work a tough soft plastic or cut bait near weeds and wood for bowfin.
At Lake Minnetonka, use a small jig, worm or tiny crankbait around rock and firm shorelines for rock bass.
On Lake Minnetonka, pick one bay and its nearest deeper edge. Fish jigs or worms around weeds for largemouth, use small jigs beside plants for crappie and sunfish, and work points or open edges for walleye and muskellunge.
On a first trip to Lake Minnetonka, check one quiet cove, one rocky or firm point and the nearby deep water with a moving lure, then use a jig or worm where you find fish.
Spring at Lake Minnetonka is a good time to check warm coves and incoming water, and summer fishing is usually better in cooler, deeper water. Fall at Lake Minnetonka can bring fish back to windy points and banks, while winter calls for smaller baits fished slowly.
A medium spinning rod covers smaller lures at Lake Minnetonka, while a heavier rod and stronger leader are better for pike or muskellunge.
Choose one point, weed edge, rocky bank or narrow passage on Lake Minnetonka that sits near deeper water, then test two lure depths before moving.
The reported 102-foot depth at Lake Minnetonka marks the deepest spot, but fish still need bait and a reason to stop there.
Muskellunge appears in the fish record for Lake Minnetonka, so choose a lure and location that fit that fish.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.