Little Swan Lake in Todd County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Minnesota, Little Swan Lake belongs to Todd County. The water sits 1,168 feet up. Roughly 171 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. There is roughly 2.3 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. It ranks high for size among our Todd County listings. You are 8.8 miles from Long Prairie. Minneapolis sits 96 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Little Swan Lake

  The basin has been measured to about 76 feet. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Fish documented in Todd County include largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, northern pike and yellow perch. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Fish Little Swan Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 71°F in July and bottom out at 9°F in January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Break-up near mid April, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. On Little Swan Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Mons Lake, 0.9 miles out. The position on Little Swan Lake is worth confirming on the day.