Fishing Little Mantrap Lake in Becker County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Little Mantrap Lake sits in Becker County, out in Minnesota. It stands 1,509 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to roughly 366 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. The outline measures near 4.6 miles, so local knowledge counts. Size puts it in the front rank of our Becker County list. The nearest town is Park Rapids, 14 miles away. Further out sit Menahga (25 miles) and Bemidji (28 miles). Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Little Mantrap Lake

  Recorded soundings reach about 62 feet at the deepest point. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Becker County cover bluegill, largemouth bass, walleye and northern pike. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Fish Little Mantrap Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 67°F, the coldest about 4°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Break-up comes around mid April, and the run that follows is short and strong. On average, mid April opens the water and mid November closes it again. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. It holds true on Little Mantrap Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, Lake Frazier is 1.6 miles off. The position on Little Mantrap Lake is worth confirming on the day.