Fishing at Long Lake, Aitkin County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Long Lake is set in Aitkin County, Minnesota. It sits in pine and birch. Surface area runs to roughly 431 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. The perimeter runs near 4.9 miles, so plan the walk before you start. It is among the larger waters listed here for Aitkin County. The closest town, Aitkin, is 11 miles away. The big place round here is Minneapolis, 105 miles distant. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  Measured depth reaches about 134 feet at the deepest point. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Across Aitkin County, recorded fish include northern pike, bluegill and yellow perch. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Long Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 6°F in January to roughly 68°F in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Ice-out usually falls in mid April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near late November in autumn. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Long Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. 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 water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Lily Lake, 1.1 miles out. Where Long Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.