Fishing Lake Laura in Clay County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Lake Laura is a Clay County water, in Minnesota. It lies 1,329 feet above sea level. At about 58 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The bank runs about 1.3 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Some 11 miles away sits Hawley, the nearest settlement. For a city, Fargo is 29 miles off. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Lake Laura

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across Clay County include bluegill, yellow perch and black crappie. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Read Lake Laura for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 5°F in January and 69°F in July. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at late November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Plan any trip to Lake Laura around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. There is a mapped landing stage half a mile away. There are toilets half a mile off. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Lake Emma, 0.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Lake Laura in particular, ask before you travel.