Crooked Lake Fishing in Cass County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Minnesota holds Crooked Lake, in Cass County. The ground round it is pine and birch. At 13 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Our Cass County list holds plenty of bigger water. The closest town, Lake Shore, is 12 miles away. Fargo sits 106 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Crooked Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. 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 list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Read Crooked Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 68°F in July and bottoms out near 6°F in January. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. At Crooked Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Round Lake sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat Crooked Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.