Finn Lake Fishing in Wadena County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Look for Finn Lake in the Wadena County part of Minnesota. The bank gives way to mixed forest. The water covers some 137 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The bank runs about 1.9 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. The closest town, Menahga, is 7.1 miles distant. Park Rapids is 13 miles and Wadena 23 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Finn Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Wadena County, recorded fish include black crappie, northern pike and largemouth bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Finn Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 68°F and January at 5°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near late November in autumn. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. It sets the rhythm of the year at Finn Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Jim Cook Lake, 3 miles out. What applies at Finn Lake may have changed since it was mapped.