Linn Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Linn Lake stands in Chisago County, Minnesota. It lies 883 feet above sea level. The water covers some 156 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. About 2.4 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Minnesota listings. Lindstrom sits 2.4 miles from the bank. Chisago City lies 3.3 miles off, Shafer another 4.2 miles. The boundary is near enough that local access rules are worth double-checking.

• Where to Fish on Linn Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Chisago County, recorded fish include largemouth bass, common carp, bluegill, yellow perch and black crappie. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fish Linn Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 71°F at the top of summer and 11°F at the bottom of winter. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early April. Break-up near early April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Linn Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Kroon Lake, 1 mile away. Confirm before you fish Linn Lake.