Fish Lake Fishing near Sandstone, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Pine County entry here is Fish Lake, in Minnesota. The land about it is rolling bush. It measures about 104 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Shoreline length is close to 3.9 miles, and each section fishes a little differently. Few waters listed in Pine County are bigger. 5.7 miles away sits Sandstone, the nearest town. For a city, Minneapolis is 86 miles off. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Fish Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Species logged across Pine County include northern pike, bluegill, largemouth bass and black crappie. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Fish Fish Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 68°F and January about 7°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. Open water usually runs from mid April until about late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It holds true on Fish Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Indian Lake is 0.7 miles off. Check the current arrangement for Fish Lake.