Kelly Lake Fishing in Polk County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Kelly Lake is a Polk County water, in Minnesota. Elevation runs to 1,257 feet. At 22 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Head to Fosston, 6.4 miles away, for anything you forgot. The big place round here is Fargo, 73 miles distant. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Kelly Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name yellow perch, brown bullhead, white sucker, northern pike and black bullhead. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Read Kelly Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 68°F on average, January about 3°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Kelly Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Pike mean a wire trace, no exceptions; big spoons and jerkbaits do the searching. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. Olson Lake at 0.6 miles is the sensible second choice. For Kelly Lake in particular, ask before you travel.