Lake Fourteen in Clay County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Clay County end of Minnesota holds Lake Fourteen. The bank is 1,345 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 42 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Some 9.6 miles away sits Hawley, the nearest settlement. Barnesville lies 13 miles off, Pelican Rapids another 15 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Lake Fourteen

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across Clay County include bluegill, yellow perch, black crappie, northern pike and largemouth bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Lake Fourteen gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 69°F in July and bottom out at 5°F in January. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. On Lake Fourteen the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Lake Thirteen sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Lake Fourteen are worth checking on the day.