Fishing at Benson Lake, Swift County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Benson Lake is one of the Swift County listings for Minnesota. Land around it is rolling bush. Roughly 76 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The full circuit measures close to 2.7 miles on foot. The nearest place of any size is Benson, 11 miles away. The nearest city of size is Minneapolis, 115 miles away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Benson Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Public occurrence data for Swift County names common carp, yellow perch, black crappie and walleye. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The shape of Benson Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 71°F on average, January about 10°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early April. The water is typically free of ice between early April and late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. It sets the rhythm of the year at Benson Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Should this one be busy, Swan Lake is 1.6 miles off. The position on Benson Lake is worth confirming on the day.