Fishing at Lake Four Hundred Eighteen, Cass County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Lake Four Hundred Eighteen lies in Cass County, Minnesota. Elevation runs to 1,414 feet. Surface area runs to about 10 acres — small enough to read in one session. Most waters listed here for Cass County are larger. Pequot Lakes sits 28 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Further out sit Park Rapids (28 miles) and Crosslake (28 miles). The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lake Four Hundred Eighteen

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Cass County include largemouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill and walleye. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Lake Four Hundred Eighteen fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 68°F, with January the cold end at about 6°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Anyone fishing Lake Four Hundred Eighteen regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. The nearest alternative is Cub Lake, 0.4 miles out. For Lake Four Hundred Eighteen in particular, ask before you travel.