Grass Lake in Otter Tail County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Grass Lake falls in Otter Tail County, part of Minnesota. The ground round it is pine and birch. At about 48 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Pelican Rapids lies 7.3 miles from the water. The big place round here is Fargo, 47 miles distant. Within easy reach: Cow Lake some 0.4 miles off, Bass Lake a touch under 0.7 miles, Lake Field some 0.8 miles off, Andrew Lake a touch under 1.1 miles and Grass Lake some 1.1 miles off. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Grass Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Otter Tail County cover largemouth bass, black crappie, walleye, bluegill and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Anyone new to Grass Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 70°F; the cold one sits at 6°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. On Grass Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. A ramp is mapped within 0.9 miles. Parking sits 0.9 miles out, which makes for a walk with tackle. Public data records a pier about 0.9 miles out. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. Facilities run to toilets 0.9 miles from the water. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Should this one be busy, Cow Lake is 0.4 miles off. Treat access at Grass Lake as something to verify.