Fishing at Jack the Horse Lake, Itasca County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Set in Itasca County, Jack the Horse Lake is a Minnesota water. The setting is rolling bush. Surface area runs to roughly 358 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. The shoreline runs about 7.2 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. On our Itasca County list it sits near the top for size. Some 24 miles away sits Cohasset, the nearest settlement. Coleraine is 24 miles away, with Grand Rapids at 26 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Jack the Horse Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Species logged across Itasca County include yellow perch, largemouth bass and northern pike. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Work Jack the Horse Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 67°F for July and 4°F for January. Winter shuts the surface down for months. 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. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on Jack the Horse Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. 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. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Little Dick Lake is 0.8 miles off. Rules at Jack the Horse Lake are worth checking on the day.