Pine Mountain Lake
Fishing Tips
Pine Mountain Lake offers anglers excellent opportunities to catch walleyes, northern pike, bass, and panfish in a scenic setting near the Walker and Backus area.
Anglers looking to shorten the learning curve or improve their chances of success can book a trip with The Fish Guyd Guide Service, which specializes in fishing lakes throughout north-central Minnesota.
Resorts Nearby
Pine Mountain Lodge
Pine Mountain Lake Resort
Anderson’s Horseshoe Bay Resort
Nearby Lakes
North Long Lake
Pelican Lake
Mission Lake
Round Lake
Whitefish Lake
Edward Lake
Gull LAKE
Cullen Lake
Species We Target
Walleye
Northern Pike
Largemouth Bass
Panfish
Pine Mountain Lake Fishery Summary
Pine Mountain Lake is a large and scenic fishery located near Backus in Cass County, just south of the Walker area in north-central Minnesota. The lake covers approximately 1,617 acres with about 737 acres of littoral habitat, providing a mix of shallow vegetation and deeper structure that supports a diverse fishery.
Pine Mountain Lake reaches a maximum depth of 80 feet and contains roughly 9.4 miles of shoreline with numerous bays, points, and irregular shoreline features typical of lakes in Minnesota Lake Class 22. Lakes in this classification are generally large, deep, and relatively clear with limited shallow water areas.
Water clarity averages around 6.6 feet, which is somewhat lower than many lakes in the region but still supports healthy aquatic vegetation and fish habitat. The lake has a city-owned public boat access on the east shore, making it easily accessible for anglers and recreational boaters.
Pine Mountain Lake is known locally as an excellent walleye and northern pike lake, while also providing opportunities for crappie, bluegill, bass, and perch.
Pine Mountain Lake Survery Information
Walleye
Pine Mountain Lake supports an excellent walleye fishery and receives walleye fry stockings during odd-numbered years.
Survey results showed:
Walleye abundance highest recorded in the 2022 survey
Length range: 8–28 inches
Average length: 16 inches
Most fish sampled were 12–15 inches
Eleven consecutive year classes were present, indicating strong recruitment.
Northern Pike
Northern pike are abundant in Pine Mountain Lake.
Length range: 14–34 inches
Average size: 21 inches
The lake falls under the North Central Zone Northern Pike regulations, and anglers are encouraged to harvest pike under 22 inches to help maintain a balanced population.
Black Crappie
Length range: 5–13 inches
Average length: 11 inches
Crappie numbers fall within management goals and provide good fishing opportunities.
Bluegill
Length range: 3–10 inches
Average size: 6 inches
Bluegills provide consistent panfish action.
Largemouth Bass
Fish up to 18 inches were sampled during surveys.
Yellow Perch
Average size: 7 inches
Length range: 5–9 inches
Perch are abundant but generally smaller in size and serve as an important forage species.
Pine Mountain Lake Fishing Tips
Spring Fishing
(Water Temps: 38–55°F)
Spring fishing begins shortly after ice-out when walleyes move shallow to spawn and feed.
Best Spring Areas
Wind-blown shorelines
Sand and gravel spawning areas
Bays warming quickly in the sun
Points near shallow flats
Spring Techniques
Jigging with minnows along shallow breaks
Slip bobber fishing near emerging vegetation
Casting shallow crankbaits along shoreline structure
Recommended Lures
1/8–1/4 oz jigs with shiner minnows
Shallow crankbaits
Slip bobbers with leeches
Northern pike can also be active in shallow bays during early spring.
Walleye From
Pine Mountain Lake
Summer Fishing
(Water Temps: 60–75°F)
During summer, fish often move deeper and relate to structure such as humps and breaklines.
Best Summer Areas
Deep rock points
Mid-lake humps
Breaklines near basin edges
Weedlines in shallow bays
Summer Techniques
Live bait rigging for walleyes along deeper breaks
Slow trolling spinner rigs
Pitching soft plastics for bass along weed edges
Recommended Lures
Lindy rigs with crawlers or leeches
Spinner harnesses
Texas-rigged plastics
Ned rigs or drop-shot rigs
Trophy Walleye
on Pine Mountain lake
Fall Fishing
(Water Temps: 40–60°F)
Fall can provide excellent fishing as predator fish begin feeding heavily before winter.
Best Fall Areas
Rock points and reefs
Breaklines near deeper water
Remaining weed beds
Fall Techniques
Jigging large minnows along breaklines
Casting crankbaits along rocky shorelines
Vertical jigging deep structure
Recommended Lures
Jig and minnow combinations
Blade baits
Deep diving crankbaits
Suspending jerkbaits
Walleyes often become more active during fall as water temperatures cool.
Client with
Big Walleye
Winter Fishing (Ice Fishing)
Pine Mountain Lake provides winter fishing opportunities for walleyes, pike, and panfish.
Best Winter Areas
Basin edges in deeper water
Mid-lake structure and humps
Weedlines in shallow bays
Winter Techniques
Jigging spoons tipped with minnow heads
Deadstick rods with live minnows
Tip-ups set for northern pike
Recommended Ice Lures
Jigging spoons
Jigging raps
Tungsten jigs with waxworms
Tip-ups with sucker minnows
Big walleyes
Trophy Pine Mountain Lake area Fish
We cover a large area in Central Minnesota, if you have any questions about a certain lake or a certain species of fish don’t hesitate to call. We are very accommodating and can come up with a plan to make any sort of trip work. If you need multiple boats we are also able to get more guides to handle larger group trips! Our goal is to make your fishing trip easy, comfortable, and full of fish catching excitement!