Fishing at Delong Lake, Pine County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Delong Lake stands in Pine County, Minnesota. Elevation runs to 1,138 feet. Surface area is around 41 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Roughly 1.0 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Moose Lake lies 14 miles from the water. Carlton is 19 miles away, with Esko at 22 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Delong Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name northern pike, bluegill, largemouth bass and black crappie. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Delong Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 67°F and January reads 8°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. That is the shape of the year on Delong Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Maheu Lake sits 0.8 miles off and takes the overflow. What applies at Delong Lake may have changed since it was mapped.