Jinks Lake Fishing Guide, Crow Wing County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Crow Wing County, Minnesota, is where Jinks Lake sits. The water sits 1,145 feet up. The water covers some 27 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. 12 miles away sits Baxter, the nearest town. The big place round here is Minneapolis, 96 miles distant. A county line runs close by, so local bylaws can differ within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Jinks Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch and northern pike. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Jinks Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 69°F and January reads 8°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On average, mid April opens the water and late November closes it again. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Jinks Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, Mud Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. For Jinks Lake in particular, ask before you travel.