Lily Pad Lake Fishing in Crow Wing County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Lily Pad Lake falls in Crow Wing County, part of Minnesota. This is pine and birch ground. The water covers some 40 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. 3.4 miles away sits Crosslake, the nearest town. Breezy Point follows at 10 miles, then Pequot Lakes at 13 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lily Pad Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Reported across Crow Wing County: largemouth bass, bluegill, yellow perch, northern pike and pumpkinseed. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Lily Pad Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 68°F; by January the average is down near 7°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. On Lily Pad Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Boat access is recorded roughly 0.9 miles away. Parking sits 0.9 miles out, which makes for a walk with tackle. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Little Pine Lake, 1 mile away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Lily Pad Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.