Fishing Long Lake in Isanti County, Minnesota

• Overview

  Long Lake lies within the bounds of Isanti County, Minnesota. It sits at 928 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 97 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. There is roughly 2.5 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. It lies lower than most water we list in Minnesota. Head to Cambridge, 4.4 miles away, for anything you forgot. The big place round here is Minneapolis, 44 miles distant. This one sits near enough to a boundary to be worth checking.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Species logged across Isanti County include largemouth bass, yellow perch, bluegill, common carp and northern pike. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At Long Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 70°F in July and bottom out at 9°F in January. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early April. Open water usually runs from early April until about late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. That is the shape of the year on Long Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Twin Lake, 0.3 miles away. Ask locally about Long Lake if anything is unclear.