Fishing at Crooked Lake, Cass County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Crooked Lake lies in Cass County, Minnesota. The setting is rolling bush on every side. The water measures roughly 17 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Most waters listed here for Cass County are larger. The nearest town is Crosslake, 19 miles away. Fargo sits 123 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 not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Cass County cover largemouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill and walleye. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Treat Crooked Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 6°F in January and 68°F in July. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid April. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Crooked Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Little Boy Lake, 1 mile away. Nothing on Crooked Lake should be assumed from this page alone.