Fishing Crooked Lake in Mahnomen County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Mahnomen County, Crooked Lake is a Minnesota water. The country round it is lake country bush from end to end. Surface area runs to about 18 acres — small enough to read in one session. Most waters listed here for Mahnomen County are larger. Mahnomen is the closest place, 12 miles off. It is 57 miles to Fargo, the nearest city. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Crooked Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Species logged across Mahnomen County include rainbow trout, white sucker and northern pike. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. The shape of Crooked Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 68°F, while January sits near 4°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It holds true on Crooked Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Barney Lakes sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Crooked Lake for certain.