Long Lake Fishing Guide, Itasca County, Minnesota

• Overview

  You will find Long Lake in Itasca County, Minnesota. It sits in rolling bush. Roughly 124 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. There is roughly 1.7 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Cohasset lies 3 miles from the water. After that come Grand Rapids at 5.7 miles and Coleraine at 11 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Itasca County include yellow perch, largemouth bass, northern pike and bluegill. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Long Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 67°F and January reads 5°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. After mid April the shallows warm and the fish move up. 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. Long Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. A ramp is mapped within half a mile. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. For a change of water, Loon Lake is 0.6 miles distant. None of that is settled for Long Lake in what we hold.