Fishing at Command Lake, Crow Wing County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Out in Crow Wing County, Minnesota, sits Command Lake. This is lake country bush ground. At 21 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Our Crow Wing County list holds plenty of bigger water. Start from Crosslake, 4.6 miles down the road. After that come Breezy Point at 12 miles and Pequot Lakes at 14 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Command Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Crow Wing County records list largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, northern pike and pumpkinseed among the fish reported. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Command Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 7°F in January and 68°F in July. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. From about mid April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. On Command Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. You can launch: the ramp is half a mile away. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. You can camp half a mile off, which suits an early start. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Bass Lake is 0.6 miles off. What applies at Command Lake may have changed since it was mapped.