Fourth Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Minnesota holds Fourth Lake, in Cass County. Height above sea level is 1,325 feet. The water measures roughly 19 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Most waters listed here for Cass County are larger. For supplies, Park Rapids is 23 miles out. Further out sit Bemidji (31 miles) and Menahga (31 miles). The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Fourth Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across Cass County include largemouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill and walleye. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Fourth Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 68°F at the top of summer and 5°F at the bottom of winter. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about late November in an average year. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Plan around that when you fish Fourth Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Third Lake is 0.2 miles distant. Treat Fourth Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.