Fishing at Bluebill Pond, Itasca County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Look for Bluebill Pond in Itasca County, Minnesota. The surface lies 1,375 feet up. It covers about 8 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is a small entry by Itasca County standards. Cohasset lies 14 miles from the water. Beyond it, Coleraine at 15 miles and Grand Rapids at 16 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Bluebill Pond

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Itasca County records list yellow perch, largemouth bass and northern pike among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Bluebill Pond gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 4°F and July at about 67°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Time your trip to Bluebill Pond by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Roland Lake is 0.4 miles distant. Check the position on Bluebill Pond before loading the car.