Fool Lake in Crow Wing County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Fool Lake lies in Crow Wing County, Minnesota. The bank is 1,201 feet above sea level. Roughly 230 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The bank runs about 2.6 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It ranks high for size among our Crow Wing County listings. Crosby at 6.8 miles is the nearest place to stop. The nearest city of size is Minneapolis, 116 miles away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Fool Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Crow Wing County cover largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, northern pike and pumpkinseed. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Fool Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 69°F for July and 8°F for January. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. That is the shape of the year on Fool Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Stanley Lake at 2.1 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing here settles the position at Fool Lake for certain.