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

• Overview

  You will find Grove Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. This is mixed forest ground. At 593 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. The shoreline runs about 3.3 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. It is among the larger waters listed here for Otter Tail County. Supplies mean a trip to Pelican Rapids, 5.6 miles off. Further out sit Barnesville (12 miles) and Hawley (19 miles). A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Grove Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Otter Tail County cover largemouth bass, black crappie and walleye. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Grove Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 69°F and January reads 6°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near late November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Grove Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Maple Lake, 0.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Grove Lake may have changed since it was mapped.