Deer

Deer Lake is a small 44 acre lake located in the Foothills State Forest 11 miles northwest of Pine River in Cass County. A small access is located on the eastern shore. The entire shoreline is publicly owned by Cass County. Much of Deer is shallow with a maximum depth of 10'. A survey of the fish community in Deer Lake was conducted in mid-August 2024. One gill net and four trap nets were set. The fish community sampled on Deer was simple consisting of just 5 species: Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Pumpkinseed and Yellow Perch. The one gill net set sampled 9 Northern Pike; all were small with the biggest only 22.1". One large 37.7" Northern Pike was sampled in the trap nets. A fishable population of Largemouth Bass exists with fish ranging from 5.2" to 14.3". A few larger Hybrid Sunfish were present with fish ranging from 7.0"-8.5". Most Pumpkinseeds were small, but a few nicer ones up to 7.8" were present. The Yellow Perch sampled were too small to be of interest to anglers.

Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Hybrid Sunfish, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Yellow Perch, and Pumpkinseed in Deer. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.

We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Deer. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.

The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Deer is from 2024.

No invasive species are on record for Deer in Minnesota DNR data. Always clean, drain, and dry your equipment to help keep it that way.

No — Deer has no lake-specific regulations in the 2026 Minnesota DNR regulations, so statewide Minnesota limits apply. The statewide sunfish limit is: 20 combined total. Verify current rules with the Minnesota DNR before keeping fish.