Little Emily Lake Fishing Guide, Cass County, Minnesota

• Overview

  The Cass County end of Minnesota holds Little Emily Lake. The ground round it is mixed forest. It runs to roughly 88 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The bank runs about 1.7 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Crosslake sits 11 miles from here and is the nearest stop. The nearest city of size is Minneapolis, 129 miles away. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Little Emily Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Across Cass County, recorded fish include largemouth bass, yellow perch and bluegill. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Little Emily Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 6°F to 68°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. The open-water window runs from around mid April to about late November in an average year. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. The season on Little Emily Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Papoose Lake, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Little Emily Lake in particular, ask before you travel.