Fishing at Dishpan Lake, Itasca County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Dishpan Lake is an Itasca County water, Minnesota side. The surroundings are lake country bush. The water covers some 42 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Redby sits 39 miles from the bank. Further out sit Cohasset (41 miles) and Bemidji (42 miles). The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Dishpan Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Itasca County records list yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Dishpan Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 4°F in January to roughly 66°F in July. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Dishpan Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. You can park half a mile away and walk in from there. Public toilets are recorded roughly half a mile off. This sits inside Lost 40 SNA, so read the reserve notices first. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Dishpan Lake at 0.5 miles is the sensible second choice. Treat Dishpan Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.