The Whitefish Chain of Lakes has good numbers of northern pike to go along with some trophy-sized fish as well. There is a lot of weed growth in these lakes. Fish the weed edges and you’ll have success from spring through fall here. Some of the better northern pike lakes to fish here are Whitefish Lake (Upper & Lower), Cross Lake, Big Trout Lake and Cross Lake. Take a look below to learn more about the area lakes that have northern pike in them.
Arrowhead Lake
Arrowhead Lake is a part of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes. It is a shallow lake with dense emergent vegetation. Arrowhead is connected to Upper Whitefish Lake by a channel. Anglers typically target northern pike, largemouth bass and panfish such as bluegill and crappie in this lake. Other fish include walleye, perch and rock bass. Because this lake is smaller, it will warm faster than the bigger lakes on the chain. When water temperatures are warming in the spring and early summer, this lake can provide some action for northern pike, bass and panfish.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Bertha Lake
Bertha Lake totals 334 acres and is part of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes. There is no public access on Bertha Lake, but you can get here from a channel on Clamshell Lake or Whitefish Lake. It has a maximum depth of 64 feet with 43% of the lake being 15 feet deep or less. The lakeshore is heavily developed with around 150 homes. There are catchable numbers of walleye in this lake with some nice quality sized fish as well. Good numbers of northern pike are in Bertha Lake and while most pike run on the small side, there are some quality pike in here too. Largemouth bass are also available in good numbers. Other fish include smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie, rock bass and perch.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Big Trout Lake
Big Trout Lake is a part of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes. This lake is the only lake in the Brainerd, Minnesota area that is stocked with lake trout. Big Trout Lake totals 1,342 acres and has a maximum depth of 128 feet. A public boat access is located on the eastern shore or boaters can access through a channel from Whitefish Lake. The lake is heavily developed with more than 200 homes. Anglers can target a variety of fish here. Northern pike and largemouth bass are here in good numbers. Walleye numbers were low the last time the Minnesota DNR did a status of the fishery on this lake. Lake trout are present in the lake to go along with other fish such as smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie, rock bass and perch.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Clamshell Lake
Clamshell Lake is a 189 acre lake and it is part of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes. There is an Army Corps of Engineers boat access on the north shore of the lake. Access is also possible through a channel from Bertha Lake. Development is heavy on the lake with more than 100 homes. The maximum depth is 44 feet, with 75% of the lake being 15 feet or less.
Like the other lakes on the chain, this lake has good numbers of northern pike and largemouth bass. Other fish include walleye, bluegill, crappie, perch and rock bass.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Cross Lake
Cross Lake is a 1,751 acre lake and it is a part of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes. This lake is heavily developed and you can expect a lot of boat traffic on this lake, especially during the summer time. Walleye numbers are pretty average in this lake, but there are definitely some quality fish in the lake. Northern pike and largemouth bass numbers are good. Other fish include bluegill, crappie, rock bass and perch.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Daggett Lake
Daggett Lake is part of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes. At 225 acres, this is one of the smaller lakes in the Whitefish chain. Anglers can access this lake from Cross Lake via a channel. This lake gets quite a bit of boating and fishing pressure for a smaller lake. However, the fishing is still very good on this lake. Most anglers target northern pike, largemouth bass and bluegill on Daggett Lake. Other fish include walleye, bluegill, crappie, rock bass and perch.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Island Lake
Island Lake is a part of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes. This lake is smaller and it connects to Whitefish Lake via a channel. This lake has a lot of development. Anglers can target a variety of fish in this lake, although, don’t expect to find huge numbers of game fish here. Your best bet is to target northern pike, largemouth bass and panfish, although, some walleye can also be found in Island Lake.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Little Pine Lake
Little Pine Lake is part of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes. It is the easternmost lake in the chain. At 387 acres, Little Pine Lake is one of the smaller lakes in the Whitefish chain. Access is from Cross Lake via Daggett Lake. This lake gets plenty of attention from boaters and anglers. Most anglers target northern pike, largemouth bass and bluegill on this lake. Walleye numbers have been historically low on Little Pine Lake, but there are some walleye in here so don’t be surprised if you catch one. Other fish include bluegill, crappie, rock bass and perch.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Loon Lake
Loon Lake is a part of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes. This lake is very small compared to the other lakes on the chain. Anglers can get to this lake from Whitefish Lake. There is a channel on Whitefish Lake that connects to Island Lake, then another channel that connects Island Lake to Loon Lake. Anglers can target a variety of fish in this lake, although, don’t expect to find huge numbers of game fish here. Your best bet is to target northern pike, largemouth bass and panfish, although, some walleye can also be found in Island Lake.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Lower Hay Lake
Lower Hay Lake is a part of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes. It is a 685 acre lake with a maximum depth of 100 feet. This lake is highly developed with over 100 homes. There is a DNR access located on the south shore, but you can also get here through a channel from Whitefish Lake. This lake has good numbers of northern pike, although, most of the pike will run on the small side. Other fish include largemouth bass, walleye, bluegill, crappie, rock bass and perch.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Pig Lake
Pig Lake is a part of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes. This lake is 191 acres and boaters can access the lake from a channel that connects Whitefish Lake to Pig Lake. If you look at the map below, this lake really just appears to be more like a bay of Whitefish Lake rather than a separate lake. Pig Lake is classified as a separate lake though. The maximum depth is 56 feet with 39% of the lake being 15 feet or less. There is heavy development on the lake with more than 60 homes/cabins. Game fish include northern pike, largemouth bass and walleye. The panfish in this lake include bluegill, crappie, rock bass and perch.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Rush-Hen Lake
Rush-Hen Lake is a part of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes. Rush-Hen Lake is an 891 acre lake located near the city of Crosslake. Rush-Hen reaches depths of 105 feet with 56% of the lake being less than 15 feet deep. This lake is connected to Cross Lake and Whitefish Lake. Expect a lot of boat traffic on this lake, especially during the weekends in the summer. Walleye numbers are fairly low on this lake, but there are good numbers of northern pike, largemouth bass and bluegill. Other fish include, crappie, rock bass and perch.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Whitefish Lake
Whitefish Lake is a part of the Whitefish Chain of Lakes. This lake serves as one of the DNR’s primary walleye egg take sites at the mouth of the Pine River. Because of this, Whitefish Lake is stocked annually. Whitefish Lake is a big lake that is broken into 2 sections – Upper Whitefish Lake and Lower Whitefish Lake. There are a variety of fish that anglers can target here. According to the DNR’s most recent status of the fishery, which was done in 2011, walleye are not here in abundant numbers, but there are definitely catchable numbers of walleye in this lake and there are fishing guides that fish this lake quite often. Northern pike and largemouth bass are abundant in the lake and there are some quality sized fish here too. Other fish in the lake include smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie, rock bass and perch.
MN DNR Lake Information Report
Learn More About Northern Pike
Our northern pike section is huge with information on the best lures, live baits, where to catch them and how to catch them. Visit our northern pike page to learn more.
