Bailey Slough near Elbow Lake: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  The Grant County entry here is Bailey Slough, in Minnesota. The water sits 1,056 feet up. Around 38 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Our Grant County list holds plenty of bigger water. Some 8.1 miles away sits Elbow Lake, the nearest settlement. Wheaton follows at 20 miles, then Fergus Falls at 25 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Bailey Slough

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Grant County records list common carp, largemouth bass, walleye and bluegill among the fish reported. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Read Bailey Slough before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 71°F and January about 9°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early April. From about early April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Anyone fishing Bailey Slough regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Bailey Slough WPA covers this ground, which means extra rules to check. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Hodgson Lake sits 3.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing on Bailey Slough should be assumed from this page alone.