Games Lake Fishing near New London, Minnesota

• Overview

  Games Lake is a Kandiyohi County water, Minnesota side. The ground around here is lake country bush. At 522 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. The perimeter runs near 3.4 miles, so plan the walk before you start. New London lies 7.8 miles from the water. Minneapolis sits 93 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Games Lake

  The basin drops to a measured 46 feet. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Fish documented in Kandiyohi County include walleye, northern pike, common carp and largemouth bass. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Games Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 10°F in January and 72°F in July. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early April. Climate figures give an open season running early April to late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. That is the shape of the year on Games Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Mapping shows a ramp about half a mile from the shore. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Norway Lake at 1.4 miles is the nearest alternative. For Games Lake in particular, ask before you travel.