Devils Lake Fishing Guide, Douglas County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Look for Devils Lake in the Douglas County part of Minnesota. It stands 1,339 feet above sea level. At about 228 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. About 2.3 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. Head to Alexandria, 12 miles away, for anything you forgot. The nearest city of size is Fargo, 85 miles away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Devils Lake

  Recorded soundings reach about 40 feet at the deepest point. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Public occurrence data for Douglas County names largemouth bass, common carp, bluegill, yellow perch and northern pike. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Devils Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 70°F, the coldest about 8°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. That is the shape of the year on Devils Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Overnight stays are possible about half a mile out, where camping is mapped. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Redick Swamp, 0.7 miles out. What applies at Devils Lake may have changed since it was mapped.