Lake Thirteen Fishing near Hawley, Minnesota

• Overview

  Lake Thirteen falls in Clay County, part of Minnesota. The bank gives way to rolling bush. At about 49 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. There is roughly 1.0 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. The town to know is Hawley, 10 miles out. For a city, Fargo is 29 miles off. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Lake Thirteen

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name bluegill, yellow perch and black crappie. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Lake Thirteen the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 69°F, the coldest about 5°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It holds true on Lake Thirteen more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Lake Fourteen at 0.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Confirm before you fish Lake Thirteen.