Onamia
A 1,044-acre lake near Onamia in Mille Lacs County — best known for panfish and bass. Last surveyed 1989.
Fish Species (13)
Typical numbers · large fish
Gill-net survey · surveyed Jun 1989
Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution
Catch rate: 4.7 per gill net · typical 3–22.5 for a lake like this
Survey History
| Date | Catch Rate | Avg Length | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 1989 | 4.67 | - | 0.40 lbs |
| Jun 11, 1984 | 9.89 | - | 0.20 lbs |
| Jun 11, 1984 | 1.67 | - | 0.18 lbs |
Typical numbers · average-size fish
Trap-net survey · surveyed Jun 1984
Last surveyed 1984 — treat with caution
Catch rate: 3.0 per trap net · typical 1–14.9 for a lake like this
Survey History
| Date | Catch Rate | Avg Length | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 11, 1984 | 3.00 | - | 0.34 lbs |
| Jun 11, 1984 | 0.89 | - | 0.21 lbs |
Typical numbers · large fish
Trap-net survey · surveyed Jun 1984
Last surveyed 1984 — treat with caution
Catch rate: 1.2 per trap net · typical 1–12.3 for a lake like this
Survey History
| Date | Catch Rate | Avg Length | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 11, 1984 | 0.22 | - | 0.25 lbs |
| Jun 11, 1984 | 1.17 | - | 0.46 lbs |
Average-size fish
Gill-net survey · surveyed Jun 1984
Last surveyed 1984 — treat with caution
Catch rate: 0.56 per gill net · typical 0.3–1.8 for a lake like this
Survey History
| Date | Catch Rate | Avg Length | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 11, 1984 | 0.56 | - | 0.94 lbs |
Typical numbers · average-size fish
Trap-net survey · surveyed Jun 1984
Last surveyed 1984 — treat with caution
Catch rate: 2.2 per trap net · typical 0.4–4.5 for a lake like this
Survey History
| Date | Catch Rate | Avg Length | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 11, 1984 | 3.56 | - | 0.09 lbs |
| Jun 11, 1984 | 2.17 | - | 0.12 lbs |
Typical numbers · small fish
Gill-net survey · surveyed Jun 1989
Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution
Catch rate: 3.7 per gill net · typical 1.2–7.8 for a lake like this
Survey History
| Date | Catch Rate | Avg Length | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 1989 | 3.67 | - | 1.07 lbs |
| Jun 13, 1989 | 1.00 | - | 0.75 lbs |
| Jun 11, 1984 | 9.00 | - | 1.53 lbs |
Below-normal numbers · large fish
Gill-net survey · surveyed Jun 1989
Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution
Catch rate: 0.67 per gill net · typical 3.2–15.3 for a lake like this
Survey History
| Date | Catch Rate | Avg Length | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 1989 | 0.67 | - | 1.90 lbs |
| Jun 11, 1984 | 0.17 | - | 6.00 lbs |
| Jun 11, 1984 | 0.33 | - | 2.17 lbs |
Other species in this lake (6)
Rough fish, bullheads, and baitfish recorded in DNR surveys — present in the lake, but not typical angling targets.
Above-normal numbers · average-size fish
Gill-net survey · surveyed Jun 1989
Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution
Catch rate: 6.0 per gill net · typical 0.8–5.9 for a lake like this
Survey History
| Date | Catch Rate | Avg Length | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 1989 | 6.00 | - | 1.72 lbs |
| Jun 13, 1989 | 2.00 | - | 1.69 lbs |
| Jun 11, 1984 | 2.56 | - | 1.83 lbs |
Above-normal numbers · average-size fish
Trap-net survey · surveyed Jun 1989
Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution
Catch rate: 4.5 per trap net · typical 0.5–4.1 for a lake like this
Survey History
| Date | Catch Rate | Avg Length | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 1989 | 4.33 | - | 0.52 lbs |
| Jun 13, 1989 | 4.50 | - | 0.50 lbs |
| Jun 11, 1984 | 5.00 | - | 0.42 lbs |
Typical numbers · large fish
Gill-net survey · surveyed Jun 1989
Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution
Catch rate: 2.7 per gill net · typical 0.5–9.1 for a lake like this
Survey History
| Date | Catch Rate | Avg Length | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 1989 | 2.67 | - | 6.56 lbs |
| Jun 11, 1984 | 0.67 | - | 7.90 lbs |
| Jun 11, 1984 | 4.50 | - | 6.61 lbs |
Average-size fish
Gill-net survey · surveyed Jun 1984
Last surveyed 1984 — treat with caution
Catch rate: 5.2 per gill net · typical 4.6–83 for a lake like this
Survey History
| Date | Catch Rate | Avg Length | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 11, 1984 | 5.22 | - | 0.38 lbs |
Typical numbers · average-size fish
Gill-net survey · surveyed Jun 1989
Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution
Catch rate: 0.67 per gill net · typical 0.6–2.8 for a lake like this
Survey History
| Date | Catch Rate | Avg Length | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 1989 | 0.67 | - | 1.95 lbs |
| Jun 11, 1984 | 0.50 | - | 1.67 lbs |
| Jun 11, 1984 | 1.44 | - | 1.47 lbs |
Average-size fish
Gill-net survey · surveyed Jun 1989
Last surveyed 1989 — treat with caution
Catch rate: 2.3 per gill net · typical 0.6–7.7 for a lake like this
Survey History
| Date | Catch Rate | Avg Length | Avg Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13, 1989 | 2.33 | - | 0.61 lbs |
| Jun 11, 1984 | 1.33 | - | 0.38 lbs |
Fishing Regulations
Statewide limits
Standard statewide Minnesota limits for the species in this lake.
Walleye and Sauger
Season: May 9, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027
6 combined, not more than one walleye over 20"
Northern Pike
Season: May 9, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027
North-central zone
Angling: 10 (not more than 2 over 26". All from 22-26" must be immediatley released).
Largemouth Bass
Season: Mar 1, 2026 – May 22, 2026
Largemouth bass in the Southern and North-central zones
Catch-and-release only
Largemouth Bass
Season: May 23, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027
Largemouth bass in the Southern and North-central zones
6 combined total largemouth or smallmouth (when smallmouth season is open)
Crappie
10 combined total
Sunfish
20 combined total
Perch
20 daily and 40 in possession
More statewide rules (spearing, rough fish)
Northern Pike
Season: Nov 15, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027
North-central zone
Darkhouse spearing: 10 (only 1 between 22-26" and 1 over 26"; or, only 2 over 26").
Bowfin, buffalo, carp, carpsuckers, freshwater drum, goldeneye, redhorse, and suckers
no limit
Bullhead
100
Biologist Notes
June 13, 1989FISH POPULATION IS MOSTLY ROUGHFISH: SUCKERS, CARP BOWFIN AND BULLHEADS WHICH ARE ALL ABOVE THEIR STATE MEDIANS. NORTHERN PIKE ARE JUST ABOVE THE AVER…
FISH POPULATION IS MOSTLY ROUGHFISH: SUCKERS, CARP BOWFIN AND BULLHEADS WHICH ARE ALL ABOVE THEIR STATE MEDIANS. NORTHERN PIKE ARE JUST ABOVE THE AVERAGE BUT ARE SMALL IN SIZE. THE WALLEYE POPULA- TION IS LOW AND YELLOW PERCH ARE AT HALF OF THE STATE AVERAGE IN NUMBER. SOME BLUEGILLS WERE CAUGHT IN THE NATURAL REPRODUCTION CHECK.
June 11, 1984CARP POPULATION IS HIGH. NORTHERN POPULATION IS OVER 3 TIMES THE STATE AVG. LARGEMOUTH BASS POPU- LATION IS ABOVE AVG. BULLHEAD POPULATION IS DOMIN- A…
CARP POPULATION IS HIGH. NORTHERN POPULATION IS OVER 3 TIMES THE STATE AVG. LARGEMOUTH BASS POPU- LATION IS ABOVE AVG. BULLHEAD POPULATION IS DOMIN- ATED BY BLACK'S AND YELLOW'S WITH ABOUT AVG NUM- BERS OF BROWNS. YELLOW PERCH ARE BELOW STATE WIDE MEDIANS. BOWFIN ARE FAIRLY ABUNDANT. WHITE SUCKER ARE COMMON. BLACK CRAPPIE AND BLUEGILL NUMBERS ARE LOW. PUMPKINSEEDS WERE THE MOST ABUNDANT SUN- FISH.
Frequently Asked Questions
What fish can you catch in Onamia?
Based on Minnesota DNR survey data, anglers target Yellow Perch, Bluegill, Black Crappie, Largemouth Bass, and Pumpkinseed in Onamia. See the full species list above for catch rates, size structure, and quality scores.
Is there public access at Onamia?
We don't have a confirmed public access point on record for Onamia. Check the DNR LakeFinder page for current access details before you go.
How deep is Onamia?
Onamia has a maximum depth of 10 feet, per Minnesota DNR data.
When were the main sport fish in Onamia last surveyed?
The most recent Minnesota DNR survey data for the main sport fish in Onamia is from 1989. Surveys this old should be treated with some caution — fish populations change over time.
Does Onamia have any invasive species?
Yes — Onamia has confirmed zebra mussel. Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to avoid spreading invasives to other waters.
Are there special fishing regulations on Onamia?
No — Onamia has no lake-specific regulations in the 2026 Minnesota DNR regulations, so statewide Minnesota limits apply. The statewide perch limit is: 20 daily and 40 in possession. Verify current rules with the Minnesota DNR before keeping fish.
More lakes in Mille Lacs County
View allLake Details
- Surface Area
- 1,043.71 acres
- Max Depth
- 10 ft
- Shoreline
- 17.8 mi
- Public Access
- Not confirmed
Invasive Species Alert
- zebra mussel
Clean, drain, and dry your equipment to prevent spread.