Bray Lake Fishing near Pelican Rapids, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Otter Tail County end of Minnesota holds Bray Lake. Height above sea level is 1,316 feet. Surface area is around 112 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. There is roughly 1.8 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Nearest town is Pelican Rapids, 13 miles off. Fergus Falls is 15 miles away, with Perham at 18 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Bray Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name largemouth bass, black crappie, walleye and bluegill. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Bray Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 69°F and January at 6°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Bray Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. 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. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Mud Lake sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Bray Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.