Fishing at Fox Farm Lake, Itasca County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Itasca County, Fox Farm Lake is a Minnesota water. The ground around here is rolling bush. It covers about 3 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Most waters listed here for Itasca County are larger. 29 miles away sits Coleraine, the nearest town. Then Cohasset, 30 miles, and Grand Rapids, 32 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Fox Farm Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Fish documented in Itasca County include yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and black crappie. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The near bank of Fox Farm Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 66°F at the top of summer and 4°F at the bottom of winter. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Fox Farm Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Gorman Lake at 0.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position at Fox Farm Lake before loading the car.