Fishing at Double Lake, Cottonwood County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Double Lake sits within Cottonwood County in Minnesota. The surface lies 1,352 feet up. With some 210 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. At about 3.2 miles of edge, most people work one arm at a time. Start from Fulda, 17 miles down the road. The big place round here is Sioux Falls, 76 miles distant. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Double Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. County-wide records name common carp, walleye, black bullhead and yellow perch. The county list is broader than any single water. Double Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 12°F in January up to 72°F in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Ice-out usually falls in early April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The water is typically free of ice between early April and late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. The season on Double Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Clear Lake sits 1.4 miles off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Double Lake in what we hold.