Fishing at Lake Thirteen, Cass County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Lake Thirteen is listed under Cass County, Minnesota. The surface lies 1,302 feet up. Surface area runs to roughly 550 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. Some 3.6 miles of bank gives room to move when the wind turns. It is among the larger waters listed here for Cass County. You are 20 miles from Bemidji. Further out sit Park Rapids (35 miles) and Bagley (43 miles). There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Lake Thirteen

  Depth records show about 64 feet at the bottom of the basin. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Cass County records list largemouth bass, yellow perch and bluegill among the fish reported. The county list is broader than any single water. Work Lake Thirteen in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 67°F and January near 4°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Winter locks it down, and mid April brings it back. The season between ice runs from about mid April to mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Lake Thirteen fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Should this one be busy, Little Twin Lake is 0.8 miles off. Nothing here settles the position at Lake Thirteen for certain.