Fishing at Kemp Lake, Otter Tail County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Look for Kemp Lake in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. The surface lies 1,355 feet up. At about 52 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Head to Frazee, 11 miles away, for anything you forgot. Then Pelican Rapids, 11 miles, and Perham, 13 miles. If this one is busy: East Spirit Lake some 0.5 miles off, Lake William 1.1 miles away, Berend Lake some 1.2 miles off, West Spirit Lake 1.4 miles away and McCollum Lake some 1.4 miles off. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Kemp Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across Otter Tail County include largemouth bass, black crappie, walleye and bluegill. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Kemp Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 5°F to 69°F. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around mid April. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near late November in autumn. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Time your trip to Kemp Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. If the gate is shut, East Spirit Lake at 0.5 miles is the nearest alternative. Confirm before you fish Kemp Lake.