Fishing Cranberry Lake in Cass County, Minnesota

• Overview

  You will find Cranberry Lake in Cass County, Minnesota. It stands 1,398 feet above sea level. At 23 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. For a base, Crosslake sits 27 miles out. Pequot Lakes is 28 miles away, with Breezy Point at 29 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Cranberry Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Survey and observation records for Cass County include largemouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill, walleye and northern pike. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Take Cranberry Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 68°F in July and bottoms out near 6°F in January. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near late November in autumn. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Cranberry Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Popple Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. For Cranberry Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.