Fishing Goose Lake in Crow Wing County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Goose Lake is a Crow Wing County water, in Minnesota. The water sits 1,253 feet up. Roughly 69 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. There is roughly 1.6 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. For a base, Crosby sits 6.5 miles out. It is 103 miles to Minneapolis, the nearest city. Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Goose Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, northern pike and pumpkinseed. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Goose Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 69°F and January reads 7°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near late November in autumn. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. At Goose Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Bass Lake, 0.5 miles out. Rules at Goose Lake are worth checking on the day.