Fishing Fish Lake in Stearns County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Stearns County, Minnesota, is where Fish Lake sits. Height above sea level is 1,188 feet. Around 37 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Albany sits 4.5 miles from the bank. Then Avon, 7.7 miles, and Collegeville, 12 miles. Also worth knowing: 0.3 miles out stands Littner Lake, 0.3 miles away is Bear Lake, 1.6 miles out stands Vos Lake, 2.5 miles away is Two River Lake and 3.7 miles out stands Pine Lake. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Fish Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name largemouth bass, bluegill, northern pike and walleye. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Read Fish Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 71°F and January near 10°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That is the shape of the year on Fish Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. 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. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Littner Lake is 0.3 miles distant. Signs at Fish Lake carry more weight than any list.