Fishing at Flint Lake, Stearns County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Flint Lake lies within the bounds of Stearns County, Minnesota. Mixed forest runs right down to the water. It measures about 66 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The full circuit measures close to 1.6 miles on foot. 3.4 miles away sits Richmond, the nearest town. Eden Valley is 5.7 miles and Cold Spring 6.5 miles. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Flint Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Stearns County include largemouth bass, bluegill and northern pike. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Read Flint Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 72°F on average, January about 10°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early April. Average temperatures cross freezing around early April in spring and again near late November in autumn. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Flint Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. If the gate is shut, Ganzer Lake at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position at Flint Lake before loading the car.