Big Lake

Details

DNR lake ID

04004900

County

Beltrami

Surface area

3,598 acres

Maximum depth

35 feet

Mean depth

14 feet

Shallow water (littoral) area

2,106 acres, 59% of the lake

Shoreline

16.6 miles

Average water clarity

8.1 feet (Secchi disk, 6 readings)

Nearest town (DNR)

Bemidji

Latest DNR fish survey

June 2025, standard survey

Surveys on record

17, since 1974

Game fish caught in the 2025 survey

bluegill 277, yellow perch 203, pumpkinseed 139, rock bass 86, northern pike 79, black crappie 58, walleye 56, largemouth bass 36

Fish species recorded

black crappie, bluegill, hybrid sunfish, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, pumpkinseed, rock bass, smallmouth bass, sunfish, walleye, yellow perch, and 27 other species

Stocked in 2025

muskellunge yearlings (198); muskellunge fingerlings (23); muskellunge fingerlings (47); walleye fry (1,033,000)

Stocked in 2024

muskellunge fingerlings (1,050); walleye fry (1,050,000); walleye fry (1,215,000)

Stocked in 2023

muskellunge fingerlings (100); walleye fry (1,056,000)

Stocking years on record

9 of the last 10 (2016 to 2025)

Big Lake Public Water Access Site

trailer launch, concrete slab ramp, 5 trailer spaces, run by U.S. Forest Service

Infested waters list

zebra mussel

Special regulation

Sunfish: Daily limit five.

Fish consumption

Follow the statewide guidelines; fish from this lake have been tested

Size

2,000 acres or more

Deepest point

30 to 59 feet

Public access

Yes

Stocked in the last 3 years

Yes

Sources

• Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
  Checked September 24, 2026
• Minnesota DNR Public Water Access Sites
  Checked September 24, 2026

Survey catches show what DNR nets and electrofishing found on the survey date, not how the fishing is today. Check the current regulations and the Department of Health advice before you keep fish, and confirm access conditions before you tow a boat.