Share your catch
US

Cass Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Cass Lake: the largest lake of the Cass Lake Chain in the Chippewa National Forest, fished for walleye, northern pike, perch and muskie.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Flow
185 cfs
Air / High
73 / 73 F
Wind
SSE 15 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 05200510, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Cass Lake rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. The main inflow is running 185 cfs, falling. Today brings cloud cover, wind SSE around 15 mph, steady pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 73. Water sits around 55 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:53 AM-11:53 AM and 10:24 PM-12:24 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

MuskellungeExcellent

This band covers the spring spawn, which in Wisconsin runs at 49-60Β°F; spawning muskies eat little and rarely chase lures, Wisconsin DNR says. After the spawn, and again as fall water cools, work large lures along weed edges and structure.

WalleyeGood

Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Northern pikeGood

The best band for pike: right after ice-out they move into flooded vegetated shallows to spawn, and they feed actively again as the water cools in fall.

Yellow perchGood

Spring and fall: perch hold shallower and, by Michigan DNR's account, feed through the day, so shoreline weed edges, flats and the shallows near spawning areas are worth searching.

Tomorrow: Cooler at 60 F with a rain chance. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

Before you go

Minnesota requires a fishing licence from age 16, from $25.00 for residents. What a Minnesota licence costs and where to buy it β†’

Chasing walleye here? Check the size and bag limits with DNR before you keep anything. The season dates for Minnesota, read off the agency, are on the Minnesota seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from MISSISSIPPI RIVER NEAR BEMIDJI, MN (inflow).

Flow, last 30 days

USGS gauge 05200510.

134203271185 cfs09/2310/0310/1310/23

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp73 F
High / Low73 / 53 F
WindSSE 15-29 mph
Pressure1013.7 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain95% cloud, 54%
Sunrise / Sunset07:48 / 18:15
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~55 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Cass Lake this week

The best day on Cass Lake this week looks like Saturday Oct 24, at 4 out of 5, against 3 today.

Best day this week: Saturday, Oct 24 β€” good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
9:53 AM-11:53 AM and 10:24 PM-12:24 AM
Minor period
4:17 AM-5:17 AM
Sun
07:48 to 18:15
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Rain, 16 mph
Rain chance
54%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

The species that matter on Cass Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: spring and late fall, around dawn, dusk and night

A cool-water perch of large lakes, reservoirs and rivers whose reflective eyes are built for low light, so it feeds most at night and in murky water. The Missouri Department of Conservation ranks it among the continent's most important freshwater game fish. Spring: post-spawn fish scatter and can be slow for a couple of weeks. Fall: one of the best windows, with minnows on jigs and three-way rigs as the water cools toward ice-up.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: cool water, from ice-out through spring, in fall and under the ice

A long, duck-billed predator of weedy lakes, slow rivers and backwaters that ambushes fish from vegetation. Wisconsin DNR points out that, unlike most of the state's common game fish, pike do their best feeding in cool water. The best band for pike: right after ice-out they move into flooded vegetated shallows to spawn, and they feed actively again as the water cools in fall.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Caught all year, including under the ice through winter

Yellow perch are schooling panfish of the Great Lakes and northern lakes, and Michigan DNR calls them the game fish most often caught in that state. Spring and fall: perch hold shallower and, by Michigan DNR's account, feed through the day, so shoreline weed edges, flats and the shallows near spawning areas are worth searching.

Muskellunge illustration

Muskellunge

Fished from late spring into late fall where seasons allow

Muskellunge are solitary, fish-eating ambush predators of the pike family, holding in weed beds and other cover in lakes and rivers of the Great Lakes, upper Mississippi and Ohio basins. This band covers the spring spawn, which in Wisconsin runs at 49-60Β°F; spawning muskies eat little and rarely chase lures, Wisconsin DNR says. After the spawn, and again as fall water cools, work large lures along weed edges and structure.

When to come: the Cass Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Walleye
Northern pike
Yellow perch
Muskellunge
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 55 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~55 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Cass Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Muskellunge led the card at excellent. High of 71 F, wind to 8 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 65 F, wind to 12 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Walleye led the card at excellent. High of 67 F, wind to 12 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used if we need to ask you about your report. No mailing list, no spam.

Before you go

License

Minnesota requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Minnesota inland regulations, 2026: Cass Chain sunfish limit 5 a day. Statewide inland: walleye/sauger May 9, 2026–Feb. 28, 2027, 6 combined, only 1 walleye over 20 in.; muskellunge June 6–Nov. 30, 1 at 54 in. minimum; northern pike under the zone rules.

Access

Norway Beach Recreation Area, U.S. Highway 2, 4 miles east of Cass Lake: campground loops and a boat ramp (Chippewa National Forest).

About this water

A lake of nearly 16,000 acres, the largest of the eight-lake Cass Lake Chain, in the Chippewa National Forest, north-central Minnesota.

Fishing Cass Lake: the full guide

Largest lake of the chain

The Forest Service describes Cass Lake as the largest of eight lakes in the Cass Lake Chain of Lakes, covering nearly 16,000 acres with 27 miles of forested shoreline and sandy beaches. Star Island, in the middle of the lake, carries six miles of trails and holds its own 199-acre lake, Lake Windigo. Minnesota's fishing regulations group Cass with Wolf, Ose, Andrusia, Pike Bay, Windigo, Buck, Big Rice, Little Rice, Kitchi, the Mississippi River and other connecting waters as the Cass Chain.

What anglers fish for

In the Forest Service's words, anglers on Cass Lake fish for walleye, northern pike, perch and trophy muskie. The Norway Beach Visitor Center, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, holds a Kids Fishing Day each June.

Rules on the chain

The only lake-specific rule Minnesota lists for the Cass Chain in 2026 is a daily limit of five sunfish; the inland statewide limits cover the rest. For 2026–27 those include walleye and sauger open May 9, 2026 to February 28, 2027, and muskellunge open June 6 to November 30 with a 54-inch minimum.

Norway Beach Recreation Area

The Norway Beach Recreation Area lies 4 miles east of the town of Cass Lake on U.S. Highway 2. Its Cass Lake Loop campground sits on the bank among mature red and white pine, with accessible vault toilets, a hand pump and a boat ramp nearby; sites are booked through recreation.gov. The town has restaurants, a bank, and grocery and hardware stores.

Common questions

What fish are in Cass Lake?

The Forest Service lists walleye, northern pike, perch and trophy muskie as the fish anglers pursue on Cass Lake.

Are there special limits on the Cass Chain?

Minnesota's 2026 regulations set a five-sunfish daily limit on the whole Cass Chain, including Pike Bay and Andrusia. Other species follow the statewide inland rules.

Where can I launch or camp?

At the Norway Beach Recreation Area, 4 miles east of the town of Cass Lake on Highway 2. Its campground loops are reserved through recreation.gov.

Is fishing good at Cass Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Lake Bemidji16 miLake Winnibigoshish17 miUpper Red Lake49 miGull Lake69 miOtter Tail Lake86 miMille Lacs Lake91 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 05200510 β€” MISSISSIPPI RIVER NEAR BEMIDJI, MN (inflow)
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 18:30 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 47.4070, -94.5530 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 7, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 7, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.