Dellwater Lake Fishing in Beltrami County, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Beltrami County entry here is Dellwater Lake, in Minnesota. The water sits 1,293 feet up. With some 191 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 2.1 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Head to Little Rock, 5.9 miles away, for anything you forgot. Red Lake lies 7 miles off, Redby another 10 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Dellwater Lake

  The deepest measured water here is close to 33 feet. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Beltrami County, recorded fish include walleye, yellow perch, northern pike and largemouth bass. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The shape of Dellwater Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 3°F in January to roughly 67°F in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Averages suggest open water from about mid April through to roughly mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. The season on Dellwater Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Mina Lake at 1.2 miles is the nearest alternative. Rules at Dellwater Lake are worth checking on the day.