Fishing at Little Cow Horn Lake, Itasca County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Little Cow Horn Lake is an Itasca County water, in Minnesota. It stands 1,253 feet above sea level. Roughly 115 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Bank access stretches around 2.0 miles in total. Grand Rapids is the closest town at 11 miles. After that come Coleraine at 13 miles and Cohasset at 15 miles. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Little Cow Horn Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Itasca County include yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Little Cow Horn Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 67°F, the coldest about 5°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That is the shape of the year on Little Cow Horn Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Cow Horn Lake sits 2 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat access at Little Cow Horn Lake as something to verify.