Little Bear Lake, Minnesota: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Itasca County, Little Bear Lake is a Minnesota water. The surface lies 1,345 feet up. Around 125 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. With about 2.8 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. The closest town, Keewatin, is 23 miles away. The big place round here is Fargo, 173 miles distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Little Bear Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Itasca County records list yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and black crappie among the fish reported. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Little Bear Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 5°F to 66°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late April and starts locking again about mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. On Little Bear Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. The nearest alternative is Bear Lake, 2.2 miles out. Nothing on Little Bear Lake should be assumed from this page alone.