Little Sand Lake Fishing near Cohasset, Minnesota

• Overview

  Little Sand Lake lies within the bounds of Itasca County, Minnesota. The surroundings are lake country bush. Surface area runs to roughly 339 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. A shoreline of some 2.9 miles keeps the choices simple. Few waters listed in Itasca County are bigger. The nearest town is Cohasset, 33 miles away. The nearest city of size is Fargo, 140 miles away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Little Sand Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Itasca County cover yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike, bluegill and black crappie. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Work Little Sand Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 67°F, with January the cold end at about 4°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. The season between ice runs from about mid April to mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. On Little Sand Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Stone Axe Lake at 1.4 miles is the sensible second choice. Ask locally about Little Sand Lake if anything is unclear.