Clear Lake Fishing in Big Stone County, Minnesota

• Overview

  You will find Clear Lake in Big Stone County, Minnesota. Land around it is lake country bush. Roughly 61 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. A shoreline of some 1.1 miles keeps the choices simple. You are 16 miles from Ortonville. Wheaton is 20 miles and Milbank 21 miles. Within easy reach: Fogarty Lake after 1.8 miles, Lake Leo 3.7 miles away, North Rothwell Lake after 5.3 miles, West Toqua Lake 5.4 miles away and Cup Lake after 5.7 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Clear Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Big Stone County cover common carp, yellow perch, walleye and black bullhead. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. At Clear Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 72°F for July and 10°F for January. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early April until roughly late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Expect Clear Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. A car park lies half a mile away, so the walk in is short. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Fogarty Lake at 1.8 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Clear Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.