Fishing Lake Stella in Kittson County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Out in Kittson County, Minnesota, sits Lake Stella. It lies 778 feet above sea level. It covers about 25 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Ground here is low by Minnesota standards. For a base, Altona sits 18 miles out. Cavalier follows at 22 miles, then Morris at 28 miles. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Lake Stella

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Kittson County include white sucker, walleye, black bullhead and largemouth bass. The county list is broader than any single water. Lake Stella gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 2°F in January up to 68°F in July. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid April. Ice clears near mid April and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Time your trip to Lake Stella by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. The nearest alternative is Lake Louise, 4.7 miles out. Ask locally about Lake Stella if anything is unclear.