Clear Lake in Aitkin County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Clear Lake is one of the Aitkin County listings for Minnesota. What surrounds it is lake country bush. The water covers some 29 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Roughly 1.1 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Supplies mean a trip to Aitkin, 18 miles off. Then Crosby, 29 miles, and Crosslake, 30 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Clear Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Aitkin County cover northern pike, bluegill and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Take Clear Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 67°F and January near 6°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid April until roughly late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. The season on Clear Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Red Lake is 1.2 miles off. None of that is settled for Clear Lake in what we hold.