Little Turtle Lake Fishing in Cass County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Little Turtle Lake sits within Cass County in Minnesota. It stands 1,371 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 23 acres — small enough to read in one session. Start from Park Rapids, 27 miles down the road. After that come Bemidji at 33 miles and Pequot Lakes at 33 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Little Turtle Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name largemouth bass, yellow perch and bluegill. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Little Turtle Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 68°F, while January sits near 6°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Ice is part of the season here, ending near mid April. Expect the water usable from around mid April until roughly late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Time your trip to Little Turtle Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Conklin Lake, 0.9 miles away. Check the position on Little Turtle Lake before loading the car.