Fishing at Bentsen Lake, Big Stone County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Big Stone County, Bentsen Lake is a Minnesota water. The country here is pine and birch. It measures some 379 acres, and wind has room to build across it. The outline measures near 5.7 miles, so local knowledge counts. It ranks high for size among our Big Stone County listings. 6.7 miles away sits Ortonville, the nearest town. Milbank follows at 17 miles, then Appleton at 21 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Bentsen Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Big Stone County names common carp, yellow perch and walleye. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. The near bank of Bentsen Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 72°F for July and 10°F for January. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early April and starts locking again about late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan any trip to Bentsen Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the pike, wire up and throw larger lures along the weed edges. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Munnwyler Lake is 1 mile distant. Treat Bentsen Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.