Crookneck Lake Fishing in Morrison County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Morrison County in Minnesota is where Crookneck Lake sits. Height above sea level is 1,266 feet. With some 178 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The whole outline is near 2.5 miles, and most of it is walkable. Size puts it in the front rank of our Morrison County list. The nearest town is Staples, 12 miles away. The nearest city of size is Minneapolis, 109 miles away. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Crookneck Lake

  Surveys put the deepest water at about 21 feet. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Records held for Morrison County cover largemouth bass, bluegill, northern pike, black crappie and yellow perch. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Crookneck Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 69°F and January at 8°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid April. On average, mid April opens the water and late November closes it again. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Anyone fishing Crookneck Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Shamineau Lake is 0.8 miles distant. None of that is settled for Crookneck Lake in what we hold.