Fishing Halverson Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Otter Tail County, Minnesota, is where Halverson Lake sits. The bank is 1,289 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 20 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Otter Tail County list. Some 3 miles away sits Pelican Rapids, the nearest settlement. Barnesville follows at 16 miles, then Fergus Falls at 18 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Halverson Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Reported across Otter Tail County: largemouth bass, black crappie, walleye and bluegill. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The shape of Halverson Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 69°F and January at 6°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Time your trip to Halverson Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Granrud Lake, 1.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat Halverson Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.