Fishing Elkhorn Lake in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Elkhorn Lake lies in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota. This is pine and birch country. It measures about 73 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. With about 1.2 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Start from Spicer, 1.5 miles down the road. New London is 6.2 miles and Willmar 7.8 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Elkhorn Lake

  Survey data gives a maximum of roughly 46 feet. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Reported across Kandiyohi County: walleye, northern pike and common carp. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Fish Elkhorn Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 72°F on average, January about 10°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Break-up comes around early April, and the run that follows is short and strong. Open water usually runs from early April until about late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Plan any trip to Elkhorn Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. 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. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. The nearest alternative is Twin Lakes, 1.9 miles out. Nothing here settles the position at Elkhorn Lake for certain.