Half Moon Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Crow Wing County, Half Moon Lake is a Minnesota water. The bank is 1,178 feet above sea level. With some 71 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Supplies mean a trip to Crosby, 6.5 miles off. Minneapolis sits 112 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Half Moon Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Crow Wing County list largemouth bass, bluegill and yellow perch. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Read Half Moon Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 8°F in January up to 69°F in July. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around mid April. On average, mid April opens the water and late November closes it again. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Half Moon Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Faupel Lake is 0.8 miles off. Nothing here settles the position at Half Moon Lake for certain.