Bean Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Bean Lake in the Cottonwood County part of Minnesota. Elevation runs to 1,365 feet. With some 123 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The full circuit measures close to 1.9 miles on foot. Tracy sits 17 miles from here and is the nearest stop. It is 77 miles to Sioux Falls, the nearest city. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Bean Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Cottonwood County records list common carp, walleye, black bullhead, yellow perch and black crappie among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Take Bean Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 72°F and January near 12°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early April. Averages suggest open water from about early April through to roughly late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. That is the shape of the year on Bean Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Overnight stays are possible 0.9 miles away. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Double Lake at 1.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Treat access at Bean Lake as something to verify.