Fishing at Chain of Lakes, Todd County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Within Todd County, Minnesota, you have Chain of Lakes. It lies 1,342 feet above sea level. Surface area is around 105 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The full circuit measures close to 2.8 miles on foot. Some 8.4 miles away sits Long Prairie, the nearest settlement. The nearest city of size is Minneapolis, 103 miles away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Chain of Lakes

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. County-wide records name largemouth bass, bluegill and black crappie. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. The near bank of Chain of Lakes is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 69°F in July and bottoms out near 9°F in January. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Chain of Lakes runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Little Mill Lake, 0.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Chain of Lakes, the notice at the access point is the final word.