Beltrami Lake near Bemidji: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Beltrami County in Minnesota is where Beltrami Lake sits. It sits in pine and birch country. The water covers around 714 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. The perimeter runs near 6.0 miles, so plan the walk before you start. It ranks high for size among our Beltrami County listings. The nearest town is Bemidji, 9.1 miles away. It is 106 miles to Fargo, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Beltrami Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Beltrami County records list walleye, yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass and white sucker among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Treat Beltrami Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 67°F in July and bottoms out near 3°F in January. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly mid November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Time your trip to Beltrami Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is a mapped slipway roughly half a mile away. A jetty or pier is mapped about half a mile from here. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. If the gate is shut, Little Gnat Lake at 1.1 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the current arrangement for Beltrami Lake.