Kolstad Lake Fishing Guide, Swift County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Kolstad Lake lies within the bounds of Swift County, Minnesota. It stands 1,250 feet above sea level. Roughly 74 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. The bank runs about 1.8 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. The closest town, Starbuck, is 9 miles away. For a city, Minneapolis is 113 miles off. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Kolstad Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Swift County list common carp, yellow perch, black crappie and walleye. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Kolstad Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 71°F and January about 10°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early April. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Kolstad Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Sort the permit out before you load the car. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Edwards Lake sits 1.3 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Kolstad Lake before loading the car.