Clear Lake Fishing in Nicollet County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Out in Nicollet County, Minnesota, sits Clear Lake. The bank is 1,004 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to roughly 490 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. Shoreline length is close to 5.8 miles, and each section fishes a little differently. Nearest town is Winthrop, 9.4 miles off. The big place round here is Minneapolis, 71 miles distant. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Clear Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Nicollet County records list rainbow trout, common carp and bluegill among the fish reported. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. The shape of Clear Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 72°F and January at 12°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Break-up sits around early April on average, with the water closing again about late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Expect Clear Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Mud Lake at 1.2 miles is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Clear Lake if anything is unclear.