Little Goose Lake in Aitkin County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Little Goose Lake is an Aitkin County water, Minnesota side. The bank is 1,411 feet above sea level. Small at around 6 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Aitkin County. Nearest place of any size is Crosslake, 22 miles away. Cohasset lies 26 miles off, Grand Rapids another 27 miles. You are close to a county edge here; who manages the access can change within a short drive.

• Where to Fish on Little Goose Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name northern pike, bluegill and yellow perch. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Little Goose Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 67°F and January near 6°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Open water usually runs from mid April until about late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Plan around that when you fish Little Goose Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Should this one be busy, Buck Lake is 1.1 miles off. Where Little Goose Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.