Fishing at Brown Lake, Becker County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Becker County in Minnesota is where Brown Lake sits. The surface lies 1,457 feet up. With some 41 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Shoreline comes to about 1.1 miles, small enough to learn in a day. For supplies, Mahnomen is 15 miles out. The big place round here is Fargo, 48 miles distant. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Brown Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell 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. Fish documented in Becker County include bluegill, largemouth bass and walleye. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Brown Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 4°F in January up to 68°F in July. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. Open water usually runs from mid April until about mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Time your trip to Brown Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, Swimming Lake at 0.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Brown Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.