Fishing at Crooked Lake, Otter Tail County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Crooked Lake lies in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. What surrounds it is mixed forest. It runs to roughly 77 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The full circuit measures close to 3.1 miles on foot. For supplies, Fergus Falls is 12 miles out. Pelican Rapids follows at 21 miles, then Perham at 23 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Crooked Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Otter Tail County cover largemouth bass, black crappie, walleye, bluegill and yellow perch. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Read Crooked Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 7°F in January up to 70°F in July. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. From about mid April to around late November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Crooked Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. John Lake at 1.1 miles is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Crooked Lake if anything is unclear.